


Jim Hawkins: Lost in Darkness

by CoryWhatsizname



Series: Jim Hawkins in Storybrooke [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Planet (2002)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dark Past, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Ghosts, Impersonating a Vampire, Infiltrating a Castle, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Psychological Torture, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Rescue Mission, Reuniting with Loved Ones, Slow Burn, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-01-20 20:43:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 54,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21287891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoryWhatsizname/pseuds/CoryWhatsizname
Summary: The Evil Queen just wished Storybrooke into the Netherworld to gain untold power, and she never would have gotten the idea if not for Mr. Hyde and Jim Hawkins. Now Jim needs to help fix the situation, while still dealing with his checkered past with Hook and his growing feelings for Jefferson. The sequel to "Jim Hawkins: An Untold Story." CURRENTLY BEING REWORKED.
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan, Dorothy Gale/Red Riding Hood | Ruby, Jim Hawkins/Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Jim Hawkins/Mad Hatter | Jefferson, Prince Charming | David Nolan/Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard
Series: Jim Hawkins in Storybrooke [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1534565
Kudos: 9





	1. Welcome to the Netherworld

The sun never rose in the morning. The moon only drifted further way. No one knew how the moon could glow without any sun to light it, but that’s how things seemed to work in the Netherworld. Jim hadn't expected the "Dark Realm" to be quite so literal. Light didn’t make sense. Gravity didn’t make sense. The terrain beyond the city folded in on itself in the strangest of ways. The world, what little Jim could see, had completely turned upside down.

Jim sat in the dark parlor of Jefferson’s mansion, his pensive face illuminated by candlelight. He was eating cold cereal and milk, although he couldn’t tell if it was breakfast time or not. With no electricity, Jefferson had taken to storing all the perishable foods in coolers. They needed to finish off the dairy before it spoiled. Jefferson talked about possibly foraging for food in the darkened woods, but he wasn’t excited about it.

Grace was eating a bowl of Captain Crunch right beside him, while Jefferson frantically prepped the house for survival in their new circumstances. When the Masons were freed from the Queen’s control, Jefferson wasted no time chastising them for endangering his daughter. Jim showed them pictures of their feral, enchanted state as proof. They were thoroughly shamed, which Jim found enormously satisfying. 

Jefferson took full advantage of the “gift” the Queen had given him. Without Regina to obstruct him, he assumed full custody of Grace. Grace seemed a bit torn, but she ultimately decided she was better off with her father. Reluctantly, the Masons let her go.

As he left their house, Jim turned to the Masons and said, “I don’t know what gives you the right to call Jefferson a bad parent or say you have any idea what's best for Grace. He risked everything for her. Everything he does, every minute of every day, is for her. The only thing he wants is the opportunity to be a father and you two have _ dedicated _ yourselves to keeping that from him. It’s sick and it’s cruel.”

“Jefferson is dangerous and irresponsible,” Mrs. Mason protested.

“I was there when he found you crawling up the stairs to eat your own kids,” Jim countered, waving the photo on his phone at her. “He was ready to bash your brains in to save them, but he was too worried about how Grace would feel if something happened to you. She might be the only reason you're both still alive. He saved _ your _ children from _ you_. So think about that the next time you want to keep Grace away from him.”

Mr. Mason opened his mouth to speak, but his wife pulled him back. Jim dropped their keys on the ground as if he were dropping a microphone. He left without another word, joining Jefferson, Grace, and Isabelle next door.

“Would you like some more cereal, sweetie?” Jefferson asked Grace, acting like all was well. He topped off her bowl. “We need to finish the milk before it goes bad. Actually, we should probably run to the grocery store and stock up on food. People are going to clean it out if we don’t get there soon.”

Isabelle agreed wholeheartedly. She had decided to stay with them following the Queen’s zombie attack. She bravely hurried over to her apartment by the light of her wand to fetch her things and her car. She didn’t feel like living alone while they were in the Netherworld. There was strength in numbers.

First things first, the four of them drove into town in Izzy’s beaten up PT Cruiser to recover Jefferson’s car down at The Rabbit Hole. She had to keep her headlights on, despite it being roughly two in the afternoon according to the clocks. The gloom was already getting to Jim as they drove past the dimly lit houses and darkened storefronts.

"Why do some people have light but other don't?" Jim asked.

"Not everyone has a generator," said Jefferson. "We have one too, but they run on gas. If we run out, that's it. We should probably save it for emergencies. Unless Izzy knows some kind of perpetual motion spell."

Izzy shook her head. "Be glad I can make light at all."

Once they reached town, they parked and entered The Rabbit Hole, flashlights and wand in hand. Izzy had left her purse when they evacuated and she didn't want to go in by herself. Remembering what happened yesterday, Jim didn't blame her. There were zombie bodies inside the bar, including Jefferson and Izzy’s boss. Jefferson turned Grace away from the sight.

“Wow,” Izzy said, unnerved. She looked down at the body, cringing as she inspected the gore. “You know, Louie was kind of a prick, but he didn’t deserve to go out like this. What’s this axe doing here?”

Jim took the axe from her. “Oh, that’s mine. He was making a run for Jefferson, so…” Jim mimed chucking it at Louie. The actual axe wound was fairly minor. Louie had died from his other wounds, easing Jim’s conscience a bit. “I should probably return this to Granny’s.”

While they were there, Jim helped himself to the liquor stash. When Jeff and Izzy looked at him strangely, he said, “What? Your boss is dead and the bar is trashed. Are you going to stay open while we’re in the Netherworld?” He shoved a bottle of rum into his coat.

“He’s got a point,” said Izzy. She grabbed a bottle of her favorite vodka and took a swig. “I needed that.” Wiping her mouth, she said, “I guess if we ever get out of this place, we’ll need to find new jobs.”

“Great,” Jefferson groaned. He went over and grabbed a bottle of whisky. “Now, Grace, it’s not stealing during a catastrophe. It’s scavenging.” He was trying to inject a little levity. Grace just rolled her eyes.

“All right, we got the car,” said Jefferson, twirling his keys around his finger. “Let’s head over to the store. If we’re gonna raid anything, we should probably start there.” They snuffed their lights and walked down Main Street. People had taken to lighting torches along the main drag. It was helpful, but the dancing shadows they created were eerie as all hell.

When they reached the grocery store, there was already a throng of people stockpiling goods. They weren't even paying. How could they? Few people in Storybrooke carried cash money. They all paid with those weird plastic cards. Jefferson and Izzy both grabbed a cart and got to work.

Jim stayed by Jefferson. He'd know what to get. They had four mouths to feed for an indeterminate amount of time. Jefferson was operating under the belief they’d eventually find a way back to Earth. Jim wondered what they’d do if they couldn’t. 

Jefferson made sure to stock up on drinkable water. Without an ocean, the desalination plant wouldn’t be providing them with any. Jim already filled the bathtubs, but it might not be enough. They needed more batteries, a first aid kit, and hygiene products. Jim watched as Jefferson vaulted over the pharmacy counter to rummage around for his prescriptions.

"I'm gonna have to make these last a while. I might have to try tapering off," Jefferson said, climbing back over to Jim. There was fear in his eyes. Bad things could happen if Jefferson didn't take his pills, things Jim still didn't quite understand.

Jefferson returned with his haul of orange bottles and placed them in the basket of the cart. Grace turned and whispered something to Izzy. Izzy led her towards the gap between the antacids and protein supplements. “Uh, Jeff, we need to step into the next aisle over. It’s a girl thing."

Upon hearing that, Jefferson went silent. Jim was confused by his disconcerted response. “What does she mean, ‘a girl thing?’” Jim asked, the realization suddenly dawning on him. "Never mind. I'm an idiot."

Jefferson shook it off. “No big deal. Just one more thing the Masons conveniently forgot to tell me. It’s probably just as well. This is something her mother ought to be helping her with, if she were here.” Jim nodded awkwardly. “Do me a favor. Go stock up on dry shampoo and baby wipes. Something tells me showers are going to be infrequent here.”

Jim did as he was told. As he explored the hygiene aisle, Jim ran into Ishmael stumbling through the dark with a lantern. He looked beyond lost. His cart was piled high with cans of food. He must have been shopping for the whole crew of _ The Nautilus. _

“Hey, Ish!” Jim greeted him with a smile. It was nice to see Ishmael, at least nice knowing he survived the zombies. There were still a few people whose statuses were in question. Jim tried not to think about it.

“Oh, hi Jim!” Ishmael returned, similarly brightened by Jim's presence. “Strange weather we’re having, isn’t it? I’m just here finding food for the crew. When the ocean dried up, the ship fell into the ravine. We're mostly fine, but what the hell happened? Do you know where we are?”

Jim felt bad for Ishmael. He had been completely in the dark throughout this whole trip. Captain Nemo really didn’t know what he was getting his crew into when he agreed to take Jim and Nadir to Storybrooke. “I don’t know exactly. Some place called the Netherworld. The Queen made a wish and a genie sent us all here.”

“Why?” asked Ishmael. That was the million-dollar question.

“We’re still not exactly sure,” said Jim. “Her plans change more often than the wind.”

Ishmael started loading up on grooming products. He sighed, saying, “We’ve been trying to get the Maelstrom working again. It got seriously busted during the fall. We’re hoping maybe we could send people back, but the odds are looking grim.”

“Let the Sheriff’s Department know you’re working on that,” Jim suggested. “They’ll make sure you get the supplies you need.” Ish thanked him for the idea.

“Jim! Come on, let’s go!” called Jefferson. Jim hurriedly grabbed the requested items. 

Ishmael squinted through the shadows to catch Jefferson’s face. “Is that the bartender guy you were talking about?”

“Yeah, but the bar appears to be out of business," said Jim. "If anybody on the ship wants a drink, I think you can help yourself.” Jim showed him the rum bottle in his coat. “There are some bodies in there, including the owner. He's not gonna get in your way. Anyway, it was good to see you. I think we must be heading out.”

Jim said goodbye to Ishmael and rejoined Jefferson, Izzy, and Grace. Between them, they had two full carts of food and supplies that would hopefully last them until they were out of this mess. Jefferson pushed the cart over to his car in the parking lot. As he popped the trunk, Jim heard an announcement coming from a bullhorn down the street. It was David, standing on the porch at Granny’s. People gathered around to listen.

“Listen up, everybody!” David called out, his voice echoing down the street. “I know we’re all scared and confused about what’s happened. We want to clarify any questions you might have and assure you that we have a plan for getting us home. Show of hands, who here knows why the sun disappeared?”

Jefferson and Jim raised their hands, but they were far outside David’s field of vision. A few people shakily lifted their hands up, but not many. David’s impromptu speech seemed necessary to increase the town's survival rate.

“All right, let’s clear things up. To make a long story short, the Queen got a hold of a genie yesterday and wished all of Storybrooke into a place she called the Netherworld,” David explained. "It was Hyde's idea to come here, but the Queen killed both Jekyll and Hyde a few days ago."

“_You're_ the one who gave her the lamp!” someone shouted at David.

“Yes, we gave the lamp to the Queen,” David admitted. “It was the only way to make her call off the zombies yesterday. We wouldn’t have a Storybrooke left to save if we didn’t."

Someone in the crowd asked about Regina. They didn't know she and Emma had been wished away to some other world. Hook stepped forward and took the megaphone. "They're gone, all right? She wished her away, her and Emma both! So we're just gonna have to figure this out ourselves!" Hook barked at them. David gingerly took the megaphone out of Hook's hand. Hook realized he had crossed a line and stepped back.

"We're all reeling from our losses," said David, explaining Hook's behavior. "But Hook's right. While we work on getting Emma and Regina back, we're going to have to rely on each other now more than ever.”

David went into a digression on how they were going to survive in the Netherworld. Someone was being appointed to distribute rations. Apparently, the scavenging they did was frowned upon. Other people were appointed to go hunting and searching for water. Citizens were instructed to reduce their food and water consumption as much as possible, as well as saving up whatever energy they had.

“Use candles for light as much as possible. If you have fuel that you don’t need, we need to keep the hospital’s generator running. We already lost some lives during the initial blackout. There are machines running that cannot go offline,” David said.

Before he could go on, the crowd suddenly gasped and screamed, running for cover. Jim could see a puff of smoke drifting away in the breeze. The people dispersed, revealing a woman in a foreboding black gown. The Queen had arrived.

“That’s enough out of you, Charming,” said the Queen. She knocked him off his post with a wave of her hand.

“Loyal subjects,” the Queen began, amplifying her voice with magic. “As terrifying as terror is, let us put aside our panic for one day and celebrate. Your Queen has finally returned! Storybrooke is my kingdom. Submit yourselves to me and you have nothing to fear. Resist and you won’t have to worry about what I'll do to you. I’ll leave that to the creatures on the outskirts of town. Any questions?”

One man stood to his feet. “Yeah, I’ve got a question. Just who the hell do you think you are?”

The Queen clenched the air, strangling the poor man and lifting him from a distance. “Clearly, I've been away for too long. You've forgotten who you’re speaking to. I think it’s time you all remember.” The man disappeared into smoke.

The Queen conjured a massive projection over the street. In it, the man appeared in an empty field. Jim guessed it was somewhere near Snow and David's house. The man looked around in fear for a moment. The projection followed him as he tried to get his bearings. Jim watched in dread.

There was a chorus of tiny, squeaking sounds. The man was quickly engulfed in what appeared to be bugs. He screamed until he was completely covered. The bugs fell away, as did his cleaned bones. Someone in the crowd screamed.

“Thirty years without me has made the lot of you a bit too comfortable,” said the Queen, dissolving the image. “Nevertheless, we need not be enemies. The only thing you have to fear is your own defiance. I’ll hand things back over to Charming now. I've got some business to take care of.”

“Well, that’s not good,” said Jim, making the understatement of the year. Jim caught the Queen’s eye. She looked so proud of herself, waving to the crowd. She tauntingly winked at him before she evaporated.

“You can say that again,” said Jefferson, shutting Grace inside the back seat of the car with Izzy. “Come on. Let’s get home before she decides she wants something from us again.” Jefferson and Jim sat down in the front seats. They both let out a long breath. This was going to be hell. 

Back at the house, Izzy and Jim helped Jefferson put their food away. None of it needed refrigerating. Jefferson told them to keep the fridge shut as much as possible to keep the remaining perishables cold. Jim inspected the contents of their haul. Among the products was a sizable helping of canned tuna. He turned up his nose. If Jim knew his fish, they didn’t tend to keep well.

Jim helped himself to a small glass of water. Jefferson was right to get dry shampoo and wipes. They couldn’t afford to waste drinkable water on bathing or washing clothes. The washing machine didn’t work anyway. The microwave and oven were similarly useless. The stove worked fortunately. Jefferson also had a wood burning fireplace. The Netherworld was unnaturally cold.

On his way back from their water supply in the bathtub, Jim caught Jefferson standing alone in his workshop. The door was wide open. With no power, the steel door didn’t seal shut behind him. He seemed adrift, examining the row of identical hats that were still a mystery to Jim. 

Jim rapped his knuckles on the door frame. “Hey, Jeff?” he said softly, not wanting to intrude. He expected Jefferson to jump or fidget, maybe even tell him to leave. He didn’t though. He barely moved. “Jeff?” 

“Jim, come in,” said Jefferson quietly. “Shut the door behind you.” 

Jim closed the door, blocking out any light except from the candle Jefferson set on his desk. “Is something wrong?” 

“Listen, I’m not saying it will happen,” Jefferson began, gazing out the window, “but if my meds run out while we’re here, there’s a distinct possibility that I might have an episode. If I do, I want you to drag me in here and lock the door. Have Izzy keep Grace distracted until I calm down. Grace doesn’t know the full extent of my condition and I don’t want her to see how bad it can get.” 

Jim had to think about that. He’d managed to wrangle Jefferson before, and that was during a serious withdrawal from whatever chemical cocktail Hyde offered him. He could do it again. “Okay,” said Jim. “I will, but don’t you think she ought to know?” 

“She knows I have problems and that I’ve been getting a handle on them in therapy,” Jefferson said, setting a hat back on the shelf. “She doesn’t know where I go in my worst moments though. That’s a story I’d prefer to keep to myself.” 

“You haven’t told me either,” said Jim, eyeing the hats and remembering Jefferson’s ramblings. The Queen of Hearts, Regina’s mother, wanted Jefferson to make her a hat. At some point in that story, Jefferson underwent some serious trauma. That was all Jim could piece together. “Not that you need to, of course. It’s your business.” 

“Maybe one day I will,” said Jefferson, looking back at Jim’s face glowing in the candle’s aura. “You know, if you ever want to tell me what really happened between you and Hook.” Jim’s expression soured. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. My point is, there’s things I don’t like talking about and I know you probably understand that more than most people.” 

Jim relaxed. “I understand,” he said. He walked over and put his hand on Jefferson’s shoulder. There was a warmth between them, but it might have just been the candle. “And if need be, I’ll drag you in here kicking and screaming. I'll stay with you until you're better.” Jim smiled, hoping to cheer him up.

Jefferson turned around and tried to smile back. “Thanks. Let's hope it doesn't come to that,” he said genuinely. Changing the subject, he asked, “Want to help me make dinner?” 

“I’d be delighted.” 

Jefferson and Jim went back to the kitchen. Izzy had been stacking cans of soup on the counter. Now she was creating little ball of lights to illuminate the room. Jim looked around again in the brighter light. The pantry was full. Unless finding a way out of the Netherworld proved impossible, starvation thankfully seemed off the table. 

“We need to use up the cheese soon too,” said Jefferson, removing packages of cheese from the fridge. “Fortunately, we can still make grilled cheese sandwiches on the stove.” 

Jim was thrilled. Though he only had Granny’s to compare them to, Jefferson made the best grilled cheese sandwiches Jim had ever eaten. Jefferson asked Jim to heat up some tomato soup to go with them. He found a can amongst the beans and chowder and lit the stove. 

Things got quiet between them as Jefferson got to work on the sandwiches. Jim got lost in his thoughts while lazily stirred the soup. He grabbed another spoon and had a taste. “This is...” 

Jefferson pressed a sandwich against the pan with his spatula. It sizzled. “I swear to God, if I hear ‘this is all my fault’ one more time...” He had been expecting some of Jim’s routine self-flagellation. He knew that Jim still blamed himself for Storybrooke winding up in the Netherworld and a whole host of other things.

Jim paused, a little surprised. “I was going to say, ‘This is in need of some salt.’” 

“Oh. Sorry,” said Jefferson, feeling boorish. He found a salt shaker and handed it to Jim. “The soup is low-sodium. Here.” 

Jim took it and shook some salt into the pot. He tasted it again. Good enough. He’d had so much fun cooking with Jefferson before. Helping him again by candlelight under an enormous full moon should have been pleasant, romantic even. However, circumstances were bleak and Jim was utterly joyless standing next to him. It was still better than being without him though. 

Grace was happy when Jefferson brought out their dinner on a tray. Her dad had made her favorite meal. It was sweet watching Jefferson get to have dinner with her for the first time in weeks, even though the conditions were less than ideal. The four of them sat in the parlor and ate. Izzy made a ball of light right over the table so they could see. Jim and Izzy didn't talk much during that time. They wanted Jefferson to have time with his daughter.

After dinner, Jim checked the clock. It was barely 4:30. Time was utterly irrelevant in the Dark Realm. Jefferson began collecting plates. He’d need to wash everything by hand. It was then that he decided on using paper plates going forward. 

Headlights shined through the windows, followed by a knock at the door. Jefferson set aside the dishes and answered it. He held his flashlight to their guest’s face. It was Hook. He looked exceptionally morose, even for someone trapped in the Netherworld. Jim wasn’t ready to see him after their last encounter. He had held Hook’s hand as he wept in Regina’s office, returning Emma’s engagement ring that had fallen from his pocket. They’d have to talk about that sooner or later. Did it really have to be now? 

“Hook! What are you doing here?” Jefferson asked. He cast Jim a quick look. “You know poker night’s been cancelled, right? Probably indefinitely.” 

Hook folded his arms. His breath fogged up in the doorway. “We’re here to see Jim, actually. Is he around?” asked Hook as Jefferson showed him inside. David and Henry came up behind him. Jefferson tensed upon seeing David, but he came in peace. 

“David, Henry, this is a surprise. Come in,” Jefferson said, opening the door wide for them. “We were just finishing up with dinner. Or maybe it was a late lunch. It’s hard to tell anymore.” He laughed a little, but there wasn’t any real humor in it. 

David, Hook, and Henry walked up into the main floor. Henry waved when he saw Grace. Grace waved back. She was playing cards with Izzy in the dim light. 

“I see you got _ your _ daughter back,” said David to Jefferson. Was he really going to be resentful about that now? Jim wondered if he might need to intervene. Hook, David, and Henry all had cause to miss Emma, but he wasn't about to let any of them take it out on Jefferson.

“For now,” said Jefferson. “The Masons are letting me take care of her while we’re stuck here. They’ve got three other kids to feed. Jim and I found them in their house, by the way. They had turned and were trying to attack their kids. We had to lock them in their basement until you broke the curse.” 

“Which, I gotta say, was more fun than it should have been,” said Jim, entering from the kitchen. “What’s going on? What are you all doing here?” 

“Look outside, mate,” said Hook, gesturing to the inky blackness beyond the window. “That’s what’s going on.” 

“Right. The whole Netherworld thing,” Jim said with a sigh. “I suppose you’ll be wanting my help with that. You know, I’m still waiting on my paycheck for the last few misadventures.” 

David and Hook both looked away for a second. It seemed Emma hadn’t mentioned Jim’s request for compensation to them. “I’m sure you understand why money is a low priority for all of us at the moment,” said David, a bit unsure how to handle his request. “But once things are back to normal, we’ll see that you get paid for your work.” 

“And I want his salary,” said Jim, pointing at Hook. “I’m not risking my hide for ten bucks an hour.” That sounded rude. Jim adjusted his course. “I’m sorry. I do want to help, but I don’t have any other work. _This one_ was supposed to be my retirement fund.” He pointed at Hook again. It was a lie, but a compelling one. 

“It’s a deal,” said David. 

Jim took a seat down in the parlor. The others followed suit. Henry went over and started chatting with Grace. Izzy levitated another log onto the fire with her wand. Jefferson went back to the kitchen. This business didn’t concern him and he had more cleaning to do. 

“So what’s the plan?” Jim asked, opening up the rum bottle in his coat. “I heard your speech over at Granny’s today. You know, before the Queen cut in.” He recalled the man she fed to those weird creatures. “She’s really not fucking around, is she?” 

“No, we’re in pretty dire straits,” said David sadly. “We’re running out of clean water. We’ll eventually run out of food. Right now, we’ve got scouting parties venturing out to see if there’s anything to eat or drink in this place, but we don’t have time to assume they’re going to find anything. We’ve gotta get out of here and fast.” 

“You think?” said Jim, taking a drink. “So what do you need me for?” 

Hook stepped in to explain. “Our first thought was to talk to the vampire. She probably knows more about this Netherworld nonsense than we do. Maybe she could perform that ritual of hers to get us out,” said Hook with an uncertain waver to his voice.

“But…” said Jim, sensing a catch. The last time Jim saw her, she was in a coffin being loaded into a storage room for safe keeping. This was by her own request. Perhaps she refused to cooperate, too afraid to be released. The true situation was even worse.

“When we went to find her in her coffin, it was empty,” Hook replied. “All she left was this note. She addressed it to you.” 

_ Jim, _

_ We're leaving the city to search for the First Ones. They may have the secret to reversing the vampire's curse. Please keep Laura safe and do not come after us. The Netherworld is too treacherous for mortals. When I return, under no circumstances let me near Laura if I’m not human. Make no mistake, even here I am still her greatest danger. Thank you for all you’ve done for us. _

_ Your friend, _

_ Carmilla _

Jim read the note twice in the lamplight. It was nice that Carmilla considered him a friend. It made it all the more clear that Jim should be the one to find her. He looked up at Hook and David, who were awaiting his reply. “It says she doesn’t want us following her,” Jim said. He folded up the note and stowed it in his pocket. “So, naturally that’s exactly what we’re doing.” 

David shrugged his shoulders and nodded. “Pretty much.” 


	2. Under the Curling Hill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim, David, Lancelot, Ruby, and Dorothy get more than they bargained for when rescuing Carmilla in the wilderness. Fortunately, they also make a new friend.

The next morning, which was a questionable thing to call it, Jefferson brought Jim back to Granny’s to meet up with David and Lancelot. It was still pitch-black outside, which was a depressing thing to wake up to.

It was even more depressing inside the diner. The room was dark and empty except for Ruby, who was morosely slumped over the counter. She was draped in her red cloak, which was unusual. Jim remembered the omnipresent full moon outside and realized Ruby must be on the verge of transformation every second she was trapped here. That had to be a nightmare.

“Hey, Ruby,” said Jim gingerly. “How are you, uh, holding up over here?”

Ruby turned her head and sniffled. Had she been crying? _“Oh, right. Floyd,_” Jim thought. There was still a faint red smear on the tile where Floyd had been devoured.

Ruby got up and hugged Jim. She didn’t appear to be holding up well. Jim wished he had something to say like “Floyd was a good man”, but Jim didn’t know Floyd at all. He always stayed in the kitchen. The best compliment Jim could pay him was that he was a good cook, and that probably wouldn't be a comfort to Ruby right now.

“You all right, Red?” Jefferson asked. Ruby went over and hugged Jefferson too.

“I’m sorry. I’m still pretty out of it,” said Ruby, brushing her hair out of her face. She looked at the bloodstain. “It’s been a rough couple of days.”

Jefferson shut the door, jingling the bell. Dorothy poked her head out of the kitchen. Jim waved and she waved back. “Is everyone else okay?” Jim asked, hoping to avoid the subject of Floyd entirely.

“Unfortunately not,” said Dorothy, sending a jolt of fear up Jim’s spine. What about Nadir and Darius? He prayed to God nothing happened to them. “Lord Perrodon didn’t make it either. Laura’s father? She hasn’t come out of her room since.”

First Hank and Floyd, now this. “Well, I’m sure Carmilla will be… Honestly, I’m not sure what she’ll say,” said Jim, furrowing his brow. Lord Perrodon had been the primary actor keeping Carmilla and Laura apart. He even killed Carmilla’s ancestor Mircalla, confusing their Author and causing Carmilla’s current predicament. Still, he was Laura’s father and she would probably hurt for Laura if nothing else. “Is everything else okay, you know, all things considered?”

"What about Alonso?" asked Jefferson. "Is he all right?"

"He got bit, but he came out of it all right," said Dorothy. "He's got a bit of an infection, but nothing some antibiotics won't solve. He's probably having a nap right now."

“Granny’s at her wit’s end right now trying to take care of the remaining tenants,” said Ruby, readjusting her cloak. “We’ve nearly run through all the perishable food. I think we might have to go hunting soon and I still haven’t heard if there’s anything edible out there.”

“David and Lancelot are on their way. They may have heard something,” said Jim, before getting distracted by a glow at the back of the diner.

A beam of light shone from the doorway to the inn. Jim fumbled around for his weapons instinctively. Jefferson let him arm himself before they came. It wasn’t necessary though. On the other end of the flashlight was Darius, looking around for something to snack on.

“Darius!” Jim called out, dropping his knife on the ground.

“Jim!” said Darius, nearly dropping his flashlight. They ran over and wrapped each other in a big, constricting hug.

“Thank God, you’re all right,” said Jim, squeezing the life out of Darius. “I was so worried about you. Is Nadir okay? You guys weren't hurt, were you?”

Darius nodded and let Jim go. “We’re both fine. We pushed a bookcase in front of the door and hid in the bathroom. The monsters pretty much ignored us.”

Jim was so relieved. That bathroom in the loft made an excellent hiding place. He recalled Snow’s near-assassination by the Invisible Man. They were all very lucky that the door was sturdy. Darius had the right idea hiding out till the heat died down.

Darius sheepishly turned to Ruby. “Hey, Ruby, Nadir was hoping we could get some breakfast. Is there any cereal left?” He was usually timid about asking for food.

Ruby sighed. They didn't have much, but she hated to be in charge of rationing things out. Dorothy replied for her instead. “Cereal, yes. Milk, no. I can pour you both a bowl if you don’t mind it dry.”

Darius scrunched up his face, made even more dramatic by the light of his flashlight. “I’ve eaten worse.” The poor kid followed Dorothy into the kitchen. If Jim recalled correctly, the poor kid was used to food scarcity back home. Come to think of it, Darius’s tragic crush on Ruby might have had something to do with her serving him mountains of home-cooked food for free.

Ruby turned back to Jim and Jefferson. “So what’s the plan? I hear you need my nose again. Lucky for you, it’s always full moon here so it’s at peak performance.”

Jim shrugged, picking up his knife. His fingers brushed Floyd's bloodstain and Jim shrank back. “We need to find Carmilla,” said Jim, in case she didn't know. “She disappeared in the night and she’s our only shot at getting out of here.”

The bell jingled again. “This whole place reeks of monsters,” said Ruby, looking past Jim to the open door. “I hope I can pick out her scent. Hey, guys. What's up?”

David and Lancelot had just arrived. They were both carrying swords and shields in addition to the guns holstered at their sides. That was it. While they were in the forest, Jim was going to find his cutlass and pistol. The knives were not cutting it. Literally.

“Ruby, Jim, Jeff,” said David, all business. “Ready to go find ourselves a vampire? Again?”

“Uh, I’m gonna have to sit this one out,” said Jefferson, heading for the door. “I’ve got a daughter to take care of at home. If you could drop Jim off when you’re done, that would be great.” David agreed. Jefferson got close to Jim and said quietly, “Are you gonna be okay out there?”

“Please. This'll be a piece of cake,” Jim said. His voice faltered and he smiled weakly. The image of that man being eaten, bones and all, by bugs hadn’t left him. “We’re gonna stay in the truck until we find her. It'll be fine.”

Jefferson pursed his lips, like he wanted to say something else. Finally, Jefferson left with a resigned “All right. Stay safe.” He patted Jim’s shoulder and walked out the door.

There wasn’t much else to say at the diner. Dorothy sent Darius back upstairs with his cereal on a tray. Jim waved goodbye as his flashlight disappeared down the hall. Then the five of them - Jim, David, Lance, Ruby, and Dorothy - climbed into David’s car and drove away into the darkness.

"Where's Hook?" asked Ruby, noting that their party was missing one prominent member.

"He's taking care of business at the station today," said David vaguely. "He's not really up for an adventure right now."

Jim knew exactly what he meant. Hook was devastated when Emma disappeared. Two days later, Hook's blubbering on the floor of Regina's office was still fresh in Jim's mind. He hadn't been himself at David's impromptu town meeting and, though it may have been a trick of the light, his trademark liner had been replaced with deep rings to frame his bloodshot eyes.

Jim felt sorry for him, but there was a tiny part of him that was glad to see him suffer. _"This is what it felt like to lose you,"_ Jim thought, imagining his grief-stricken face._ "This is what you did." _It was petty and vindictive, but Jim felt entitled to a little pettiness.

As they drove, Ruby kept her nose out for the slightest whiff of vampire. She guided David in the direction of the city limits, a magic line dividing the town from the outside world. As the town line pulled into view, they came across a huddled mass of people in the headlights. David pulled over and he and Lancelot got out of the car. Ruby sniffed, then her breath hitched. “Vampires.”

Ruby didn’t need to warn David though. When the three people caught in David’s lights looked up, they had mouths dripping with blood. It was the De Villes, Carmilla's henchmen. There was a dead body underneath them. Jim thought they had murdered some poor person, but it was a zombie victim from a few days before.

Jim stuck his ear out the window. “He was dead when we found him,” he heard one say. It was Verona, Carmilla’s right hand. Her raven hair was looking unusually tousled. The beams from the truck illuminated every misplaced strand.

“Really?” said David skeptically, shining his flashlight in their unready faces.

“See for yourself,” said another snidely. It was Marishka, wincing in the light. She spit blood on the ground and wiped her mouth. “Ugh, that’s disgusting.”

Lancelot couldn't believe his ears. “Really? _That’s_ disgusting?”

“Have you ever tried draining blood from a half-eaten corpse?” asked the one man among them, Vasilica. Jim had a difficult time looking at him ever since the encounter they had in the woods. Looking at him now though, he appeared to be injured. He was cradling his arm, the sleeve of which was torn.

“I haven’t tried blood to begin with,” said Lancelot, turning up his nose. He looked at David. “Are they who we’re looking for?”

David shook his head. “No, but they’re a good start. Where’s Carmilla?”

The De Villes’ icy looks melted into dread. They looked to each other for answers, but they all were at a loss. “We don’t know,” said Marishka, frightened and desperate.

"Oh, come on." Sighing, David's breath billowed like dragon smoke. He didn't pick up on the fear in her voice, only hearing obstruction. He showed them the note Carmilla left for Jim in the police station. “She left a note. You’re looking for some people called the First Ones?” David interrogated.

“We lost her!” snapped Verona. She stood to her feet, then hissed and grabbed her leg. Her skirt was ripped along the side. Underneath, her leg was bloodied. All three of them looked like they'd been put through hell.

“What happened?” asked David, ignoring the way she winced and swore.

“We were attacked flying over the forest!” said Verona, breathing heavily. She didn't appreciate David's lack of sympathy. “It was dark. It happened so fast, we couldn’t even see what it was!”

“It was scaly, like some kind of dragon!” said Vasilica, recalling the harrowing experience. He shuddered. "I could see it in the moonlight."

“No, it wasn’t!” said Marishka. “I felt it as it flew past me. It was covered in little hairs!”

Jim unbuckled his seat belt so he could step out and listen. Carmilla was in more danger than he feared. She might even be dead. Well, she was already dead. Undead. Could this creature have actually killed her? There were few things that could permanently take out a vampire.

The De Villes kept debating what the monster looked like to no consensus. “The eyes,” said Verona, clutching her arms. “There were these enormous, red eyes. I nearly flew straight into one.”

David was losing his patience with them. “Where?” David asked, trying to focus their attention. “Where was this thing that attacked you?”

“Over the abyss where the ocean used to be,” said Verona, sitting back down on the ground. She was still too weak to stand. She pointed east and up. “High up in the air.”

They all looked to the sky. It was the same smoky, inky void they were slowly growing accustomed to. Something was lurking in all that darkness though, possibly worse than that carnivorous bug swarm from before. No, not quite that bad. It was close though, too close.

None of the De Villes were steady enough on their feet to guide them, only to provide vague directions as to where Carmilla might be. David shined his light along the stretch of road leading into the forest. He misjudged his next step and stumbled into the dirt. The road had been cut cleanly along the town line. Everything beyond it was untamed wilderness.

David called in an emergency pickup for the three vampires. They needed medical attention. He asked specifically for Dr. _Adam _Frankenstein. Victor would probably try to stake them when they weren't looking. “Please don’t drink their blood when they get here,” David told the De Villes. “There’s blood at the hospital. And I don’t mean the patients.”

Verona had a retort but she saved it, opting for gratitude instead. “Thank you. Please bring her back,” she begged them. Marishka and Vasilica echoed her sentiments.

“We’ll do our best,” said David. He and Lancelot joined the others back at the truck. Jim got back inside when he saw them returning. “So, Carmilla’s friend gave us a vague direction to go in, but we’re out of road and it’s gonna be even more dangerous than we thought. What should we do?”

“We’ve come this far,” said Jim. “If we just stay in the truck and let Ruby’s nose do the work, we should be fine. I think.”

Ruby nodded and added, “If need be, I can always lose the cloak.” She was scratching at her arms and trying to keep the red fabric over them. Jim had the tiniest suspicion that she was trying not to sprout fur.

“Lance? Dorothy?” David asked, wanting a group consensus. They all agreed to press on. They pretended not to be afraid, but there was an unspoken truth among them that no one was confident they’d all make it out alive.

David put the truck back into drive and they went over the town line, wheels hitting the dark forest’s floor with a rough bump. The headlights didn’t shine very far ahead, so they had to go slow. They relied on Ruby’s nose to navigate them most of the way. She hoped she had the scent, but there were strange odors all around that muddied her sense of direction.

“It’s strange,” said Ruby, bringing her head back in from the window. “I can almost smell werewolves out there. Not like the dead werewolf smell vampires give off. Actual werewolves. You don’t think…”

That thought was interrupted by David skidding to a halt in front of a thick wall of trees. The brakes sounded like someone was blending gravel. As far as driving was concerned, they were at a dead end. Ruby took another sniff. “This is the right way,” she said. “I’m sure of it.”

“Then I guess we’re going on foot,” said David, putting the truck into park. “Everyone all right with that?”

Lancelot and Dorothy didn’t look deterred. He had his sword and shield. Dorothy had her crossbow. Jim, on the other hand, was less sure of himself. He wasn’t used to trekking through haunted forests or slaying monsters. He barely survived his first encounter with the De Villes when they first unearthed Carmilla. He certainly wasn’t prepared for whatever monstrous unknown lurked beyond those trees.

Jim summoned his courage and said, “Let’s do this.”

They all hopped out of the truck, weapons at the ready, and began walking into the forest of gnarled, deathly trees. Ruby led the way. Her lupine eyesight was better in the dark, regardless of the lunar cycle. She clutched the collar of her cloak, prepared to tear it off and unleash the wolf in case of danger. David and Dorothy were right behind her, followed by Jim, and lastly Lancelot. Jim felt a little safer knowing there was a swordsman watching his six.

The darkness only continued growing and Jim began feeling eyes upon him everywhere. The only light came from their flashlights and some glowing mushrooms that grew along the path. Feeling brave, Jim reached down and plucked one from the dirt.

"What are you doing?" Lancelot whispered, looking around for monsters.

"Jefferson knows a lot about mushrooms," Jim said, putting the quickly dimming fungus in his pocket. "Maybe he could tell us about these."

Lancelot looked at Jim like he was crazy for stopping to pick mushrooms. Maybe he had a point, but the path had been safe so far. Jim recalled the bugs that swallowed that man in the field and decided to hurry along.

As the forest canopy thickened, even the moonlight disappeared. Despite every snapped twig being a cause for sudden alarm, they managed to pass through the woods without incident for over an hour.

After journeying even further, the group found themselves in a clearing surrounded by tall dead-looking trees that stretched to the sky. The others were simply going to pass through, but Jim needed to stop and tie his shoelace. Coming back up, he noticed something strange. Each tree in the clearing, twelve in total, had a door carved into the side of its trunk.

_“What’s this?”_ Jim wondered.

He shined his light on one of the doors. Above it, a carving spelled out "Agrabah." Another one said "Oz." A third said "Ingary." It was the damnedest thing. Different worlds and kingdoms were listed at the top of every door.

David walked past Jim with his own light. He felt the bark that grew into the door frame. "I recognize this wood," David said. "There were trees just like this in the Enchanted Forest. Less dead-looking ones anyway."

Jim tried the doorknob. It was locked.

He looked around the clearing again. On the farthest tree, the door had been left ajar. Light trickled out from inside. While the others gathered around David, Jim cautiously approached the open door. When he opened it, he was greeted by a gust of snow and the smell of sweets. More importantly, there was light, radiant light like an aurora.

Shivering, Jim passed through the door. The chill made his breath go from a light mist to a thick fog. He found himself in the back of a mountain cave. Following the light, he came to a high cliff. He looked out at the breathtaking view. It was a wonderland of snow and ice. Reindeer were munching on lichen. There was a town in the distance playing music, ringing bells so loud even Jim could hear. 

Jim was compelled to go down and explore until he heard a shriek behind him coming from the door. He ran back through the portal into the Netherworld's darkness. The others were being attacked by a spindly, skeletal monster that had to be over ten feet tall. Its face was hard to see. The light provided by the strange fungus didn't reach that high.

Lancelot tried to slash at it with his sword. "Run!" he yelled, doing his best to hold the creature back. Once again, Jim was frustrated to be unarmed. With no adequate means to defend himself, Jim followed Lance's advice and broke into a run alongside Dorothy and Ruby.

They left the grove of odd trees chasing the light of the moon. Ruby threw her cloak to Dorothy and transformed into the wolf, carrying her away to safety. They must not have seen Jim as they galloped away. Odd. Ruby seemed to get larger the farther she ran. It must just be Jim's eyes adjusting to the dark again.

Continuing his run, Jim stepped on something he thought was a rock, but his foot broke through the top into some mush. He identified the smell immediately. It was a rotted out pumpkin. "Gross," said Jim, yanking out his foot and sprinting through the pumpkin patch.

Jim came upon a large hill that curled over like a spiral, casting a big enough shadow to hide inside. He scrambled for some temporary safety, hoping that the monster couldn't see in the dark. He crawled around the side of the hill, desperately trying to catch his breath. Fumbling in the shadows, Jim bumped into something. It screamed, then he screamed even louder.

“Who’s there? Go away!” said a woman's voice with a familiar accent. Jim shined his flashlight on her. It was Carmilla, huddling in the dark. She was clutching her arm like she’d been wounded. “Jim.” 

“Carmilla? Thank God! We've been looking everywhere for you,” he said, briefly forgetting about the skeletal creature that had been clawing at them in the grove. Carmilla was hunched over another zombie-bitten corpse, desperately draining its blood. She spat it out. It was necrotic, like sour milk in her mouth. “Are you all right? What happened?”

Carmilla huffed and tossed aside the arm she'd been feeding on. "I specifically told you not to follow me," Carmilla said irately. "Where's Laura? Is she all right? Wait! Don't tell me! Don't tell me where she is."

"She's fine," Jim assured her without much detail. "I mean, her dad's dead and she isn't taking it well. Other than that, though... What happened to you? Did that thing in the forest get you?" Jim tried to get a look at her wound, but she jerked her arm away.

Pulling her sleeve over her wound, Carmilla shook her head. "Some creature in the sky," she said. "We were flying over the canyon when something came for us. It was as fast as lightning. We were separated trying to escape. I fear we may not all have survived."

She wiped the blood off her mouth with her other sleeve. Jim guessed this was why she wore red. Carmilla leaned back against the hillside and continued. “I thought I could find the First Ones. They must be here somewhere, but I don’t even know where I’m going. This world, it’s more than even I expected.” 

Carmilla broke down and cried. Jim knelt down beside her and rested his hand on her shoulder. She was overwhelmed and he could certainly sympathize. "If it makes you feel any better, your friends made it out okay," Jim told her. "Although, they're pretty beaten up too."

It give Carmilla some comfort, but it didn't ease the pain. She clutched her stomach and groaned. Between that and her bleeding arm, Jim guessed she must be starving for fresh blood. She wouldn't make it back to town on an empty stomach.

“Do you need to eat?” Jim asked her. Carmilla nodded weakly. Jim took out his knife and carefully made a small, shallow cut on his arm. He hissed in pain and squeezed it to make it bleed. Jim offered Carmilla his blood. “Here.” 

Carmilla looked up at him, caught completely off-guard by this grotesque display of generosity. Carmilla gingerly took his arm and lowered her mouth to the cut. Jim winced a little as she took his blood. The smacking sound was sickening, but he put up with it.

“Okay, that’s enough,” said Jim finally, withdrawing his arm. “I still need some of that.” 

“Thank you,” said Carmilla, wiping her mouth again. Her cheeks got a touch pinker as Jim’s blood metabolized. “I feel like such a fool. We were barely beyond the city when those creatures tried to devour us. Now you tell me there's some beast lurking in the woods. There’s no hope, is there?” 

Jim sat down next to her and covered his cut. “Of course, there’s hope,” he said, not sure if that was really true. “Who are these First Ones anyway? There must be some other way to change you back.” 

“The first vampires to ever exist," Carmilla explained. "If anyone knows how to reverse the curse, it must be them. I'm told they're somewhere in the Netherworld but this place is vast and dark. I might never find them."

“Well, first things first, we need to get you home. Once we get you patched up, we can make a plan together," said Jim, standing to his feet. He heard a growl behind him. A pit formed in his stomach. "Oh shit. Letting you have some of my blood may have been a bad idea.” The smell had attracted more monsters.

Jim slowly turned around. Enormous phantom dogs were encircling the hill, stalking them like prey. Their fangs were bared and their breath fogged up the air as they snarled. There were five, no six. Seven? Maybe even eight. More seemed to materialize out of thin air. This was it. Jim was as good as dead.

As Jim and Carmilla, unarmed and injured, tried in vain to slip away from the monsters, a bright beam of light struck one in the face. The dog weakened as the light intensified, fading away into nothing. The ghostly beasts turned away from them to find their assailant. They charged toward the light, which was their first and last mistake. More light exploded from its source like a bomb, vaporizing half the animals and frightening the rest away.

The light died down and Jim looked around. All he saw was a tiny, silver glow floating amongst the trees. It came closer, like a bubble getting bigger and bigger until it was hovering right in front of them. Up close, Jim and Carmilla could see a small fairy with icy blue wings floating in the aura. They were silent, looking them both over. They saw Jim’s wound and the blood on Carmilla’s lip and made a reasonable assumption.

“You get away from him, you monster!” the fairy ordered, raising their wand.

Jim had to intervene before Carmilla met the same fate as the dog spirits. “Wait! No! You don’t understand!” he whispered hoarsely. “She's injured. I let her have some of my blood.” Jim showed him the bloody knife. 

The fairy was perplexed. They put down their wand. “You fed a vampire? Are you insane?” 

“She's not dangerous. She was just hungry. Do you know any healing spells? She's got a nasty wound,” Jim informed them.

The fairy fluttered over to Carmilla and got a good look at her bite. They gasped. “That’s not good. If you want to get her patched up, we can’t take her back to town. We’ll be killed for sure.” 

"Killed? Where else are we supposed to go?" Jim asked. They had to get back to Storybrooke. They had no other alternatives.

The fairy needed to think. "If I bring a vampire back with me, Sugarplum will have my head. I doubt Kringle will take her. She wouldn't even make it past the yetis. I guess we can send her back on her own, and you can come with me."

"Why would I go with you? We need to get back to Storybrooke!" Jim insisted. He didn't know what the fairy was talking about.

The fairy was just as confused. "Storybrooke? Where's Storybrooke? Is that through one of the portals in the grove?" They used their wand to point back to the circle of doors. It seemed they had just come from there.

Jim shook his head to clear it. "It's in the Netherworld, through the woods that way." Jim pointed in Storybrooke's general direction.

"Well, that's new," said the fairy. "I just assumed she came from over that way." They pointed in the opposite direction. Jim saw what looked like little lights in the distance. The fairy looked around them, checking for any immediate dangers. “We can’t stay here. The Bone Man and his dogs could be back anytime.” 

“The tall thing with the long arms?” Jim asked, helping Carmilla to her feet.

“That’s the one,” said the fairy, searching for a path of escape. Jim asked the fairy their name. The fairy hovered back over to them. “The name's Nightlight. Pleased to meet you.”

Jim decided to ignore the unusual name. The only other fairy he knew by name was Tinker Bell, though she had the good sense to change it. “Nice to meet you too," he said. He offered his hand, but quickly realized the fairy's hands were a bit too small to shake. "I’m Jim. This is Carmilla.” 

“Charmed,” she said bitterly. Carmilla and Nightlight had an immediate animosity. She seemed to have a hard time even looking at them. Jim guessed that as creatures of light and darkness, there was some natural antipathy to be expected. Too bad for them. They'd have to get over it to get her home safely.

”I don’t know what we’re going to do about that bony thing and those dogs,” said Jim. “Walking back through the forest is a suicide mission.”

Nightlight hummed, thinking of a solution. They had an idea. “Go grab me one of those pumpkins,” they said, gesturing to the pumpkin patch. Jim was confused, but obedient. Nightlight flourished their wand a bit, warming up.

"What do you need this for?" asked Jim, skeptically.

“Just a little twist on an old fairy classic,” Nightlight said, hovering over the gourd. They raised their wand like a conductor’s baton. They cleared their throat. _“Salagadula mit saturnalia, bibidi-bobidi-boo!”_

With a flick of Nightlight’s wrist, the pumpkin began to bevel and roll. It twisted and engorged into the shape of a massive sleigh, complete with bells. It was beautiful, but not quite equipped to traverse the terrain back to town.

"Wow, this is gorgeous, but uh...” Jim said, inspecting the vehicle.

"I’m not done,” Nightlight interrupted, reading Jim’s mind. “Let me see. There’s got to be rats around here somewhere.” Nightlight played a little tune on a tiny flute and eight rats scurried over.

"All right,” they said, trying to recall something. “What’s the incantation? _Cervinavius arborealis, bibidi-bobidi-boo!_” 

The rats on the ground wiggled and wriggled, growing larger and larger. They sprouted hooves, then antlers. Their large, terrified faces mid-transformation mercifully morphed into something more cervine. When they finished growing, eight reindeer were confusedly milling about the pumpkin patch looking for some plant matter to munch on. One tripped on its new legs and began floating in midair, bucking as it tried to get back down.

"Well, that’s certainly something,” said Jim, dumbfounded. He and Carmilla watched as Nightlight rounded up the reindeer and hooked them up to the sleigh.

Nightlight got the last reindeer in place. They told Jim and Carmilla to climb aboard. They did so hesitantly. Nightlight muttered something and tapped their own head with their wand. They grew to the size of an ordinary human, stowing away their wings. Nightlight turned their attention to their anxious passengers.

"The deer tend to mind you better if you name them,” said Nightlight. “Is there anyone we could guide them back to?”

Jim listed out the names of their lost friends. Nightlight committed them to memory. They took their wand and bestowed a name upon each of the reindeer. “On Ruby, on Dorothy, on David, on Lance, on Killian, Jefferson, Izzy, and Grace!”

The reindeer heard them and started to float. “It’s not catchy, but it’ll do,” said Nightlight. They took the reins and snapped them. Jim and Carmilla were thrown back in their seats as the reindeer pulled the pumpkin sleigh straight into the sky.

”Flying might not be the most effective strategy,” said Carmilla, looking out at swirling black sky. “There are creatures out in the darkness. They nearly caught me and now you’ve made us a much bigger target.”

”What sort of creatures?” asked Nightlight, steering the reindeer in the vague direction of Storybrooke.

Carmilla pointed to the gigantic moon ahead. Silhouetted against it were odd, somewhat egg-like shapes. Jim could hear a hissing in the distance beneath the sound of the sleigh bells. The eggs started shaking like rattles.

Nightlight gasped. “Of course, they’d be here,” they whispered to themself. They urged the reindeer faster and nearer to the ground, casting off the bells with their wand.

Jim looked back at the moon. The shadowy floating eggs were gone. That could only be bad news.

Carmilla screamed. Something whipped past the sleigh like a lightning bolt. Jim barely even saw it. It was a slimy amorphous monstrosity, all sinew and scales and a thin layer of fuzz. Another attacked the front of the sleigh. Jaws sprouted out of nowhere. In a flash, one of the reindeer disappeared, lost in the monster’s toothy maw. 

“Ruby!” Nightlight cried. He pushed the others even harder. The sleigh raced back to Storybrooke as fast as the deer could fly. 

“What are those things?” Jim asked, watching as the aberrations barely kept pace with the sleigh.

Nightlight hurled a blast of magic, freezing one of the creatures in midair. It fell to the earth and shattered like glass. “Those, my friend,” they explained, “are Vermicious Knids. I really shouldn’t be surprised they found their way into the Netherworld.”

That sounded like nonsense. “Vermicious what now?” asked Jim, his hair whipping in the wind. 

“Shapeshifting carnivores,” said Nightlight, trying to cast more spells. “They devour anything in their path. They once ate an entire civilization that lived on a moon. Only one survivor.”

”And we’re leading them straight to Storybrooke?!” Jim exclaimed.

”Good point,” said Nightlight. “You take the reins. I’ll deal with the monsters. Just wait till Sugarplum hears about this.”

Jim wasn’t listening. He was doing his best to keep them from flying into a canyon. The reindeer seemed to know what to do well enough on their own. Nightlight stood on the edge of the sleigh and volleyed shot after shot of freezing magic. Each of the Knids screeched as they were crystallized, meeting their end on the jagged rocks below.

"Scram!" Nightlight yelled at the last Knid, its blood red eyes blinking out as it flew the other way. Nightlight hit it square in the tail, which dragged the whole Knid down and impaled it on a stray stalagmite. They hopped down with a chuckle, wiping their brow.

Nightlight took the reins back and guided them close to the ground on the edge of the haunted forest, right where the town line gave way to pavement. Jim thought he might be sick from the ride, but he rode out the panic and nausea while his breathing slowed back down. The reindeer slowed to a crawl until they were merely hovering. Then, all at once, the sleigh and reindeer touched down.

Jim and Nightlight helped Carmilla out of the sleigh. She also needed to catch her breath, though as a vampire, breathing wasn’t strictly necessary. "Nightlight, can you take Carmilla back into town? She’ll show you where to go,” asked Jim. “I need to track down the others. The Bone Man or whatever you called him might have caught them.”

Then Jim heard a rustle of branches. His heart started pounding again, but it was just Ruby and Dorothy. Dorothy tied the cloak around her and Ruby changed back into human form. She was tugging at her clothes. Apparently, they came a bit loose during the transformation. Ruby called into the forest, “Guys, we found him!” Thank God. Everyone was all right. “Jim, you’re alive!”

Ruby ran over hugged him. “It’s good to see you too,” Jim said. “Look who I found.” Jim directed their attention to Carmilla. Carmilla backed away, embarrassed to be the cause of everyone’s strife.

"How did you get out of there so fast?” Ruby asked as David and Lancelot emerged and crowded around.

"We made a new friend,” said Jim. He looked around for Nightlight. “There was this fairy who found us and helped us out. Nightlight? Nightlight!” But Nightlight was already gone. All that was left was the sleigh slowly crumbling into pumpkin chunks and the reindeer running around frantically as they reverted back to rats. It was truly a sight to behold.

"What," said Ruby, "the hell."


	3. Betwixt and Between

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim and Snow bring Carmilla to see Nick Carraway, hoping that he can help her with her Storybook. While there, they learn of a way to break the Sleeping Curse on Snow and David. On the journey to rescue David, they meet some strange characters.

Jim tried to make sense of the situation for his friends but he and Carmilla were quickly ushered into David's truck. He took them all back to Jefferson's house before any more monsters could arrive. David specifically said he didn't want to talk about anything until they were securely inside.

When asked why they weren't going to the Sheriff's Department, David told them that the building wasn't secure after the vampires' last break-in. He also wasn't sure he wanted the De Villes finding Carmilla before they had a chance to talk. "Don't worry," David said to Carmilla. "You'll be able to find them at the hospital."

Carmilla groaned and crossed her arms. She winced at her wound. Jim turned to her and whispered, "It's all right. Jefferson's house is safe and he's got medical supplies. You're gonna be fine." Carmilla relaxed a bit, but she still wasn't happy.

They first dropped Ruby and Dorothy back at Granny's. When they knocked on Jefferson's door, he startled upon seeing Jim helping Carmilla up the steps outside. He brought her to the door and saw Jefferson's stunned expression. It said,_"Oh God. They want to bring a vampire into my home." _

Jim paused at the threshold. Jefferson wasn't sure why. Jim cleared his throat and pointed his head at Carmilla. Jefferson remembered. It was a vampire thing. "Please, come inside," he said graciously for Carmilla's benefit. He and Jim exchanged tense looks.

Carmilla stepped through the door with Jim's help. Jefferson helped her out of her coat, before hurrying into the kitchen to make tea for his exhausted guests. Jim quickly went to assure Jefferson that everything was going to be fine.

"I have a daughter upstairs," Jefferson reminded him tensely, putting the kettle on. "Maybe ask me before you want to bring a vampire into my house?"

"Sorry, I wasn't thinking. Carmilla doesn't feed on innocent people, Jeff," Jim told him. He pointed to his cut. "Besides, I already gave her some of mine."

Jefferson dragged Jim to the first aid kit to disinfect him and apply a bandage. He couldn't believe Jim would actually slice open his own skin to feed a goddamn vampire. Jim sat silently and let Jefferson tend to him, ignoring his griping about Jim's recklessness.

Jefferson returned to fixing tea and Jim returned to the group in the parlor. He brought the first aid kit to tend to Carmilla. Izzy was standing at the top of the stairs, staring anxiously at Carmilla with wand in hand. Jim glanced up at Izzy and shook his head. She relaxed her grip and the glow of her magic dimmed.

David and Lancelot helped Carmilla get settled on the parlor couch. Jim did his best to bandage her up. The wound wasn't so bad once it was cleaned. Vampires heal faster than mortals, according to Carmilla. With Jim's blood and first aid, she'd likely be fine by the next day.

Once she was comfortably situated, David turned to Carmilla and Jim and asked, "So what the hell exactly happened back there?"

Where to start? They had all walked together into that weird grove of trees before being attacked by the Bone Man. "After that," David said. "We were there for that bit." Jim considered mentioning that Jefferson and Izzy were not present and might be interested, but he just skipped ahead.

Jim quickly recapped running through the pumpkin patch and finding Carmilla beneath the curly hill. Carmilla was too injured to run or transform and they were surrounded by spectral dogs. Then he got to the part about Nightlight, who disappeared before they could even introduce themself.

"I swear, a fairy flew over and saved us from the ghost dogs," Jim explained. "You were in that sleigh. Tell them." Carmilla confirmed the story, even though a tale about flying reindeer made her feel a bit foolish. Jefferson brought her a hot cup of green tea, which she looked at like it was sewage.

"They're not crazy," said Izzy, looking at Jim's discarded coat. "This is definitely fairy dust on his jacket. Someone in this black hole of a world has light magic. What did you say their name was?"

"Nightlight," said Jim, well aware of how silly that sounded.

Izzy shrugged. "Sounds like a fairy name to me."

"It's not the strangest name I heard today," Jim said. "According to Nightlight, the monsters that attacked us are called Vermicious Knids. They made it sound like they're not native to the Netherworld, and I've got a theory as to why. It might help us get home."

"Really? How?" asked Jefferson, encouraging Carmilla to have a drink. She took a sip and grimaced.

Jim saw the look on Jeff's face. _"She drinks blood but she doesn't drink tea?"_

Jim turned to David and Lancelot. "Remember that grove where the Bone Man attacked us?" They did. "There were those trees with the weird doors. I walked through one before you all got jumped. I wound up in this snowy place in broad daylight. Wherever it was, it sure wasn't the Netherworld. If we go back there-"

"If we go back there, we die," said Lancelot, shooting down Jim's idea. "That thing nearly killed us. I hacked off its arm and it just stuck it back on. Unless you've got a brilliant plan to subdue that thing, I suggest we come up with another solution for putting Storybrooke back where it belongs."

Jim glanced over at Carmilla, who was gazing into her half-drunk tea. David, Jefferson, and the rest looked at her too. She sensed their eyes on her. She looked up and they all pretended to shift their glances elsewhere. "What?" she asked irritably. Jim didn't want to be the one to put pressure on her, but he knew he was the most likely to succeed.

"Hey, Carm," Jim began, hoping a pet name might endear him to her more. "We were wondering if you had any thoughts on how to get Storybrooke out of the Dark Realm." He said it casually, as if it wasn't their entire motive for rescuing Carmilla from the haunted woods to begin with.

"You would have let me die out there if you didn't need me," said Carmilla, standing up and gazing out the window. "Don't insult me by suggesting otherwise. I know I mean next to nothing to most of you, and the lives of your people outweigh mine a hundredfold. And I don't blame you. Why should you care about me when you have a city to protect?"

Jim shuffled around in his seat. He didn't know if this was heading in a good direction or not. Carmilla wasn't angry, but she wasn't exactly pleased either.

"We're... glad you're being so understanding," said David, failing to read the room. "We don't want to put this all on your shoulders-"

"Then don't," said Carmilla, turning back around. "I have enough to do without worrying about your city. Somewhere out there, the First Ones are waiting and I need to find them. The blood moon in your realm is coming too quickly. I need time, time you can't afford me."

David stood up and approached her slowly. "What if there was another way?" he asked. "You're worried about what's in your Storybook, right? We know one of the Authors. Maybe he'd have some answers for you." 

"You mean Nick?" Jim asked. He swallowed. He really didn't want to run into Nick again, but between Carmilla and the rest of Storybrooke, Jim didn't have much of a choice. He turned to Carmilla again. "I know him. We... have some history. If anyone in Storybrooke can help you, it's him."

"Fine," said Carmilla, setting her tea on a coaster. "I'll meet with your Author. If he can help me, I'll forgo looking for the First Ones and help you get back to the mortal realm. If he can't... what becomes of Storybrooke is not my business."

David didn't like that answer. "Laura's here," he reminded her. "That wasn't part of your plan, bringing her here. She's not safe."

Carmilla sighed. "Until I've been unbound from that book, she'll never be safe."

They all made a plan. The next morning, after David woke up Snow, she would drive Jim and Carmilla to Nick's house to meet him. Jefferson kindly offered to let Carmilla spend the night in the guest room. Jim assumed he'd be sharing a bed with Jefferson again, which he had mixed feelings about.

"Would you mind sleeping on the couch?" asked Jefferson.

Jim forgot that was an option. A tiny part of him wouldn't mind sleeping in Jefferson's bed again, but he repressed that. "It's no problem."

Just as David and Lancelot were about to leave, there was a knock at the door. Jim looked out the window. There were two figures outside, one short enough to be a child. He went over to get the door. Jim opened it and found Hook standing with Henry’s girlfriend. Her name escaped him.

"Hook," said Jim, widening the door. "And, um..."

The girl beside him managed a smile. “Hi, you're Mr. Carter's friend, right? Is he home at the moment?” she asked timidly. The poor girl was shivering out there. The Netherworld was no place for someone her age.

“Uh, yeah," said Jim, desperately trying to recall who she was. He quickly dropped the pretense. "I’m sorry. I forgot your name.”

“It's Violet. Violet Morgan,” she said. "And don't worry about it. I don't think I ever learned your name to begin with."

Jim chuckled and let them both inside. “It's Jim, Jim Hawkins. Come on in, Violet. I think Jefferson just got started making dinner.”

"Oh, right! Now I remember. Jim from _Treasure Planet?_” Violet asked, hurrying into the house. “I love that movie. Henry and I watched it right after we met you. Have you really been to outer space?”

Jim didn’t have the energy to correct her or ask what she was talking about. He looked to Hook for answers. Hook just shrugged. “Uh, sure.”

Jefferson called down from the kitchen, asking who it was. Jim led Violet up the stairs. “It’s Hook and Violet. You know, Hank’s kid.”

Jim could have struck himself. Hank perished in the zombie attack. He wondered if mentioning him might have upset Violet. If it did, it didn't show. She was a strong girl. Jim remembered her sitting next to the Queen, having just learned about her father's death. Violet kept everything under perfect control while the adults had their fateful meeting. She fell to pieces right after though. A person can only hold those emotions in for so long.

“Violet, how are you?" Jefferson asked concernedly, pushing past David to meet her at the stairs. "God, you're freezing. What are you doing here?"

"I found her while I was driving up your hill," said Hook. "It's a good thing I did. Lord knows what's lurking in these trees."

Jefferson crouched to Violet's eye level. "Have you been by yourself all this time? It's not safe to be outside, especially someone your age."

“I know, but it’s important. I was in my dad’s workshop earlier and I found this,” Violet said, fishing a chunky device that looked like a phone from her bag. She held it out for them to take. The adults all looked confusedly at it. “It’s Regina. She asked for you.” 

Jefferson took it from her. "Me?" He looked at it for a moment, wondering what Regina would want with him. How would she even communicate with them? It might be some kind of trick from the Queen.

“Why don’t you go upstairs, Vi? Grace is in her room. I’m sure she’d be glad to see you.” Her mission accomplished, Violet left and went upstairs. She paused on landing. Jefferson smiled and said, "Thank you for bringing this to us. It was brave of you."

Violet simply smiled back, looking like she might cry. She disappeared up the next flight of stairs. The adults turned their attention back to the strange gift they'd been given.

“What is that?” Jim asked, looking over Jefferson's shoulder. It was a walkie talkie, Jim learned. It was sort of like a phone, but with much more limited capabilities.

David took it from Jefferson and inspected it, turning up nothing. "If Hank had it in his workshop, there's probably some magic in it," David said. "I say give it a go."

Jefferson nodded. David passed it back to him. Jefferson held it to his ear and pressed the button. "Hello?” 

“Hello? Jefferson, is that you?” asked Regina's voice.

“Regina?" Jefferson asked, stunned to be hearing her voice. "Where are you? How are you reaching us?” 

“Hank was tinkering with these gadgets before I left. Violet told me what happened," Regina said painfully. "Emma's here with me. She's safe, but she's different. We were transported to another realm, just like the Queen said."

Hook rushed over to Jefferson, distraught. "What does she mean, different?"

David took the walkie talkie straight out of Jefferson's hand. "Regina, this is David. Is Emma okay?"

There was an audible sigh from Regina. "It depends on how you look at it. She's physically fine, but she has zero memory of who she is. She thinks she's Princess Emma of Westphalia. When the Queen said she was going to give Emma a different life, she meant it."

"Bloody hell," said Hook, listening intently. He started pacing. "This is just a true-love's-kiss thing, right? If we bring her back, I can just undo this."

David leaned over the ledge overlooking the entryway, ignoring Hook's rambling. He used his free hand to massage his temple. "Where are you exactly?"

"Well, it _looks_ like the Enchanted Forest, but it's like thirty years have passed," said Regina, being as nondescript as possible. "That's not important right now. We need help working on a portal to get us home.” 

“Yeah, about that… I don't know if Violet told you, but we’re not exactly home right now ourselves,” said David.

“What do you mean?” asked Regina. She didn't know about the Netherworld.

David wondered how to break the news. “After you wished yourself away, the Queen used her last wish to send all of Storybrooke into the Dark Realm. We have no power. It’s nighttime all day, we're running low on food, and there are monsters eating people again.” 

“And the Queen?” Regina asked hesitantly. "Where's she in all this? Can you please put Jefferson back on?"

David reluctantly handed the device back over to Jefferson. “Jefferson speaking. We've barely seen the Queen," said Jefferson. "She said something about conquering the Netherworld and starting a new kingdom, then she just fucked off and we haven’t seen her since.” 

“I want to conserve power on this thing, so I’ll make this quick. I need you to go find August. You and he need to help us make a portal to your location. We can help you all get back home from there. I’ve got an alternate version of him - long story - working on constructing the door, but we don’t have the runes to tell it where to go. That’s your area of expertise, right?” 

Jefferson rubbed his neck. The look he gave Jim said that he was already over his head. “Not exactly. I didn’t make the original hat. That was my- It's not important. What’s he making the portal out of?” 

“It's the same enchanted wood that made the wardrobe to protect Emma and August from the Dark Curse,” Regina said.

"May I?" asked David, asking Jefferson politely to speak with Regina. Jefferson handed it over. "I don't know if this is going to help at all, but while we were in the forest, we found the same trees that Geppetto used to make the wardrobe. I don't know what to do with that information, but-"

That's when a lightbulb went off in Jefferson's brain. He grabbed the walkie talkie and began rattling off some babble that Jim only partially understood. If the Netherworld grew the same magic trees that made the wardrobe, then he and the two Augusts could attune two doors to each other without coordinate runes. It sounded like gibberish to Jim, but he had a complete faith in Jefferson to make it happen.

“Get on it," was Regina's reply. "I've gotta work on getting Emma's memory back. Keep me posted on your progress."

"Wait!" said Hook, surely with more questions.

"Over and out," said Regina. Her connection crackled and disappeared.

Tomorrow's plans were slightly changed. Jim would go with Snow and Carmilla to Nick's house. Meanwhile, Jefferson would meet up with August. David listed out all the hidden dangers that the Netherworld possessed. Jefferson was apprehensive, but a creak upstairs from Grace's room told him he needed to do it.

"I'm in," said Jefferson, "but someone is gonna have to distract that monster for us while we cut down a tree."

"I'll do it," Hook volunteered. "I've spent enough time on my arse. It's time to get moving. I'll rally some others to help us."

"Thank you."

Jefferson braced his hand on Hook's shoulder, sincerely touched that he'd help. Hook smiled. Jim knew his real motivation was Emma, but it seemed like his friendship with Jefferson was based on more than just the occasional card game. Everything that was left unsaid about Jim and Hook suddenly felt very present. He was glad Jefferson wasn't the type to pry.

He looked over at Carmilla, who'd been very quiet throughout the whole exchange. She seemed to be reading Jim's thoughts. She cleared her throat. "If your plan to bring back Emma and Regina is with this portal, you'll need it done before the blood moon in your realm. Otherwise, you may have to choose between them and me helping you get back home."

"It'll be done," said Jefferson. "We'll have it done before then."

"You have mere days left," said Carmilla. "Even I've lost track of the time."

Hook stepped forward. "August knows his woodwork, love. It'll be done."

With the plan set, Hook, Lance, and David all took their leave. Later on, Violet came back downstairs, intending to leave as well. Jefferson stopped her while she was grabbing her coat. "Violet, I can't let you be alone right now," said Jefferson. "I should have come to get you the second this all happened, but I wasn't thinking."

"I mean, I don't want to impose or anything," said Violet, tightly wrapping her scarf around her neck.

"It's gotta be hard enough for you right now," said Jefferson kindly. "I'm not going to let you bear the burden of protecting and providing for yourself in this mess. Izzy can take you to get your things tomorrow."

Izzy looked up from her sudoku puzzle, annoyed to be volunteered to drive out in the darkness. "Oh, I can, can I?"

Jefferson cast her a look. "I would, but I've got a magic tree to find."

Just like that, their group of four became six. That night Jefferson slept alone in his room. Carmilla locked herself inside the guestroom. Upon request, Izzy sealed it with magic. Grace and Violet had an impromptu sleepover in her room upstairs, leaving Izzy and Jim to camp out in the parlor.

Wide awake, Jim asked Izzy, "Do you think we're gonna make it out of here?"

"I don't know," said Izzy. "What if you can't help her? Is she still gonna try to bring us back?"

"I don't know," Jim echoed back at her. "It sure was nice of Jefferson to take her in though. Her and Violet. He didn't even hesitate."

"He might have hesitated a little on the vampire," said Izzy. "He's not used to having company. I imagine it's a nice change. Sometimes I worry about him being all alone here. It's not good for a person. I should know."

Jim nodded, but he didn't say anything.

"I'm glad you're here," Izzy continued. "I think it's been nice having you around. I imagine you're probably not going to stick around long after this is over though."

Jim hadn't thought about it in a while. It was tempting, but if and when Emma returned, Hook was going to propose. Jim didn't think he could handle being around them anymore. It hurt too much. Still, he'd miss Jefferson and the others. There was nothing left back in Ingary.

"I don't know. I might stay."

"It would be nice if you did," said Izzy. "Anyway, I'm going to sleep. Good night." She turned over and before long, she was out like a light. Jim could tell when her magic lights all extinguished at once. Jim took that as a sign that he needed to sleep too.

The next day, or much later into the night, Snow arrived to fetch him and Carmilla to take them to see Nick. Jefferson was on his way out the door, getting ready to find August and track down one of the magic trees.

"Good luck," said Jim as Jefferson adjusted his scarf and gloves. "I hope you don't get eaten. You might want to take more than just Hook and August. There's weird shit in those woods."

"Noted. The dwarves are coming along too," said Jefferson, fumbling for his keys. "If worst comes to worst, I'll just throw Leroy at whatever comes after us."

"Leroy?" Jim hadn't met that one.

"Grumpy," Jefferson clarified. Right. The one Jim saw dancing down the sidewalk during Erik's singing curse, happier than Happy himself. Jim chuckled until he actually pictured the little man in the jaws of some monster.

Jim stuck his hands in his pockets. He felt the mushroom he had saved from the night before. "Oh, I almost forgot," he said, pulling it out. The mushroom had completely lost its glow. "The forest is full of mushrooms like these. They glow in the dirt. Maybe they can give you a little more light. Do you recognize them? Anton mentioned you used to grow them."

Jefferson looked at the fungus in Jim's hand. It was a bit crushed, so it wasn't easy to tell. "I haven't seen this exact species, but I'm not stranger to bio-luminescent plants. I'd advise against eating them."

"Well, yeah. I'm not an idiot," said Jim playfully. "I thought it was worth mentioning. Good luck out there."

Jefferson smiled and looked past Jim at Carmilla, who was retying her cape for her outing with Jim and Snow. She all but screamed at seeing her own reflection in the glass art on Jefferson's wall. She looked around for someone to explain it to her.

"You too," said Jefferson, heading out the door.

Jim climbed the stairs to Carmilla's side. She was looking in the glass trying to make sense of what she saw. "I haven't seen my own reflection in years. How can this be?"

Izzy chimed in from the couch, reading a book by the light of her magic. "This world doesn't use silver when it makes its mirrors. Silver is bad news for vampires, right?"

Carmilla continued staring at herself. "Not as bad as werewolves, but yes. I look..."

"What's wrong with the way you look?" Jim asked.

"Nothing. I'm just younger than I feel," said Carmilla, turning away from the glass.

There was a honk outside. Jim and Carmilla said goodbye to Izzy and joined Snow in her car. Snow was doing her best to be cheery, but it was her first day awake in the Netherworld. Between that and the Red Room, it was out of the frying pan and into the fire. Or maybe it was the other way around.

"On the bright side, there's a lot less fire here," Snow said, forcing a smile.

"That's a very low bar," Jim said, as they drove down the street.

"Well, I spent a few days longer than usual asleep, so I'm just glad to be out and about," Snow replied. "How are you, Carmilla? I don't think we've properly introduced ourselves before."

Carmilla rubbed her forehead. She seemed to have a headache, although her wound was healing well. "You're Snow White, yes? You helped them trap me in the jailhouse. I remember."

"I think that may not have been the best way to get to know each other," said Snow, trying to see the street names in the dark. "I really do want to help you. I mean it. We both do. Right, Jim?"

Jim agreed, but Carmilla wasn't so sure. "Please, you just want me to perform the ritual to get you all out of the Netherworld."

Snow grit her teeth. Carmilla was right. "It would be great if you could do that for us, but..."

"But I can't. There aren't enough casters to perform the rites," Carmilla told them, still staring blankly out the window. "We need five. Hyde was to be the fifth. Unless you can convince the Queen to give up her kingdom in the Dark Realm, the ritual is dead in the water."

Snow and Jim looked at each other. That was some news. "We have lots of mages in Storybrooke," said Snow. "We could ask one of the fairies to step in."

Carmilla shook her head. "It must be dark magic," she said. "Who in your quaint little town would know anything of the black arts?"

"Gold," Snow and Jim said at the same time. Snow continued, "But his magic hasn't been as powerful since he gave up being the Dark One. If we got Regina back... most of her magic went to the Queen when they split."

"What about her sister?" Jim asked. "What's her name? The one everybody hates?"

"Zelena?" asked Snow. Lightning flashed outside the window, making her jump. It's like the name was cursed. "I guess we could ask her. She's not much of a team player, but I doubt she wants to raise her baby in the Netherworld. I know I don't want Neal growing up here."

They pulled up along the side of the road next to an old brick house. They all unbuckled and made their way to the front door. Snow rang the doorbell. After a minute of waiting, Nick Carraway answered the door. He looked harried and exasperated, somehow relieved yet unhappy to see them.

"You're here," he said flatly. "Wonderful. Come inside." He brought them all into his study, where the three De Villes were all patiently waiting.

"You can't believe how thrilled I was when I heard four vampires were going to pay a visit to my home," said Nick falsely. "Such a fun little surprise. Countess Karnstein, I presume. Your, um, compatriots have filled me in on your situation, although I'm not sure how you expect me to help."

Carmilla shook his hand took a seat in front of Nick's desk. Nick squirmed. Her hand was cold. "You are the Author, yes? You take care of the books?"

"I take care of _my _book," Nick corrected. "I'm not responsible for the work of other Authors."

"But you know how they work," Carmilla pressed. "Please. You're the only one who can offer me guidance. Our last attempt to solve the problem was an abject failure."

Nick's curiosity was piqued. "How so?" Carmilla lifted her arm and let Nick get a look at her wound. Nick recoiled. Even half-healed, it was pretty nasty. "What the hell did that?"

"We don't know," said Vasilica from the corner. He lifted his pant leg to show his own wound. Nick got up to look at Vasilica’s wound as well. He put on his glasses. Like Jim, he got temporarily lost in Vasilica’s eyes. “Yep, that’s what I was afraid of. You were attacked by Vermicious Knids. You'd better get that disinfected.” 

“How does everyone know what a Vermicious Knid is?” asked Jim, doing his best to pronounce that right. "Seriously, I've never even heard of these fucking things."

"They came to the Dreamlands after you left," said Nick, taking off his glasses again. “The Knids are from realm called Vermes. They roam the cosmos searching for other worlds. They have a tendency to burn up in oxygen-rich atmospheres with lots of sun. I'm not surprised they made the move to the Netherworld.”

”Why did they leave Vermes?” asked Snow.

”They already consumed all organic life on their home world,” Nick replied.

Snow was sorry she asked. "That's horrendous!"

"You all are extremely lucky to have made it out alive," Nick went on. "The Tralfamadorians could see in four-dimensions at once, and even they didn't see the Vermicious Knids coming. So it goes, as they used to say. You must have had some serious help."

Nick picked up Carmilla's Storybook and flipped through it. The De Villes must have recovered it and brought it with them. "All right. Let's see what we can do about your problem, Ms. Karnstein," he said, licking his thumb to better turn the pages. "It's an interesting collection of stories. Are they all about vampires? Oh, here we are."

Nick began reading. Jim, Carmilla, and the others sat around and waited for Nick to finish. Jim took to skimming the other books open on Nick's desk. For some reason, Nick was reading _The Call of Cthulhu _by H.P. Lovecraft, as well as a collection of Boogeyman myths from across the globe. There was a cork board mounted on Nick's wall. On it, he posted torn pages that he'd annotated and connected via strings and tacks.

"Jabberwocks, Knids... Eldritch creatures?" Jim mouthed as he read. It was like reading another language. It made Nick seem rather insane.

”You know, for a writer from West Egg,” Jim remarked. “You know an awful lot about otherworldly monsters.”

Nick didn’t look up from the book. “I told you when we met. After I took care of the Gatsby estate, I got a job at the Miskatonic University in Arkham. I learned all about the Great Old Ones. Then Merlin's apprentice approached me about becoming an Author. He assigned me to the Mountains of Madness, but that was predictably harmful to my health, so I was reassigned to the Enchanted Forest. Pardon the exposition. I know that's clumsy of me.”

Snow and Jim exchanged glances. That must be something only Nick found funny.

Nick cleared his throat and set the book down. "Well, I can see why that's an ending you'd rather avoid," Nick said to Carmilla. "Let me explain how these books work. Authors are _supposed _to write stories down after they happen. They're not supposed to assume things panned out the way they expected. To be an Author, you need to do serious investigation, be sure about accuracy. Due diligence and all that. Your Author was sloppy and, because of that, you're in your current predicament."

Carmilla and the De Villes were hanging on his every word. "What can we do?" asked Carmilla. "The book compels me to attack Laura the second I'm near her. Why?"

"The books tell true stories. The magic depends on it, so inaccuracies are self-correcting," Nick explained. "It wants your story to be true as written, so it's forcing it. I've never tried to erase one of these books before. I did try writing over it once. It worked out poorly, so we'll just have to be careful and see what happens."

They tried everything. Unlike the pages in the other Storybooks, they wouldn’t cut. They wouldn’t burn. They couldn’t rip them out or erase the ink. Anything they did to Carmilla's pages instantly reversed itself, leaving the book perfectly intact. Carmilla and Nick both grew increasingly frustrated with the tome resting on the desk. Jim, Snow, and the other vampires just looked on anxiously.

“I don't know what to tell you, Ms. Karnstein," Nick said finally, wiping his brow. "The story wants to be finished. There’s nothing we can do.”

"This doesn't make sense to me," said Snow. "I've seen these books get damaged before. Why is this one-?"

Carmilla snatched up the book and, with her vampiric strength, ripped the volume clean in half. She threw the pieces across the room, screaming with rage. Even the De Villes tensed up at her outburst. As the book magically reassembled itself, she sank to the floor in despair.

"My only guess is that the magic in the book is restless. It wants to be complete," Nick surmised. "Once the story finishes itself, I think it could be destroyed like the others."

There was an audible sigh. “Perhaps, I should just follow what it says," Carmilla lamented, picking herself back up. "If you can get Laura away from me soon enough, maybe you could kill me without her being hurt.” 

“No, there’s gotta be another way," said Jim. He gave the book back to Nick. "We’ll find the Queen and get the Shears. Somehow we’ll figure out how to use them. Maybe that Hades guy knows. First we’ll have to get back home though. It’s our only shot."

"Not necessarily," said Nick, still skimming the book. "You can get to the Underworld from here."

"Really? How?" said Snow, intrigued.

"The Netherworld connects to a lot of different places, the Underworld, the Dreamlands, different physical planes." Nick found a book to illustrate the subject. He handed it to Snow, who flipped through it curiously.

"Wait," said Snow, pointing to a passage in the book. "What's the Cavern of Flame?"

Nick took the book and read through the section. "Oh, that? It's sort of the bridge between the ordinary dreamscape and the Dreamlands proper. It's where the minds of those affected by a sleeping curse go while they're asleep. Surely you of all people have heard of it."

"I didn't know it had a name," said Snow. "We always called it the Red Room. I also didn't know I could just walk into it from the Netherworld."

Nick rubbed his eyes and cleaned his glasses. "It's not exactly that simple, Snow."

Snow didn't have time for Nick to give her the run-around. "Then make it simple. That's where David is. He's under a curse right now and the usual fix isn't working."

Nick sighed and pulled out a piece of scratch paper. He started scribbling as he talked. “All right, fine. The Netherworld - the Dark Realm, whatever you want to call it - is sandwiched between the Dreamlands and the Underworld. Ever hear of a ghost visiting someone in a dream? This is where dead consciousness winds up before it’s guided to the afterlife. The monsters in your nightmares, they all live here too. Sound like fun yet?” 

Snow wasn’t deterred. “How do I get to the Cavern from here?” 

Nick drew a map. “First you have to enter the Dreamlands. The Netherworld is sort of the Dreamland’s basement. Or the Underworld’s attic. Depends on how you look at it. Either way, you need to go "up" to get there. Once you’re there, you’ll need to find the Enchanted Woods."

"Is that anything like the Enchanted Forest?" Snow asked hopefully.

"Well, it's enchanted and there's trees in it, if that's what you mean," said Nick sarcastically. Snow frowned at him. "In the Enchanted Woods, you need to wander until you find the Steps to Deeper Slumber leading even further up into some caves. That's where the Cavern of Flame is."

Snow crossed her arms and looked at Nick's drawing. "All right. How do I get from here to the Dreamlands?"

"You're not seriously thinking about going to the Cavern, are you?" Nick exclaimed. "That's suicide! If you're not eaten alive or driven insane, you're not coming out of that Cavern without being burnt to a crisp! Is it really worth risking your life and your sanity?"

"David and I can't keep living like this!" Snow told him. "I would go to hell and back for my husband. If I have to do that literally, then so be it."

Jim nearly started to clap, but instead he crossed his arms and sent Nick a resolute look. This was happening, and there wasn't a thing Nick could say to talk them out of it.

"Wait!" said Carmilla, before they got carried away. "What about the Shears? What about the Queen?"

Snow stopped and thought for a moment. They had come here to help Carmilla and she was still in dire straits. "Nothing's going to lure the Queen out of hiding faster than me and David both awake," said Snow. "We'll call Lancelot. With all of us together, we'll have David up and moving by dinner time."

Carmilla didn't like the arrangement. It was a long shot and, in her opinion, an over-complicated plan. Just as a backup, Carmilla and the De Villes were going to stay in town and attempt to divine the location of the First Ones. Perhaps, with the Vermicious Knids broken into frozen shards, the skies above the forest would be safe for flight.

They all left Nick's home, for which he was immensely grateful. He stopped Jim on his way out. "Just so you know," Nick said. "I found your book. They let me have all the Storybooks for safe keeping. If you ever want to read it, it's here."

"Thanks," said Jim. "But I think I know all the dirty details. Reading them again is just going to rub salt in the wound."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," said Nick earnestly. "I know he was important to you. Hook, I mean."

Jim shrugged. "It is what it is," he replied sadly. "I'm glad you're doing well. You've got a nice place here."

It was Nick's turn to look around and shrug. "It's not much but it's home. I never meant to relocate to Storybrooke. I was trapped inside my own book for upwards of thirty years and now here I am."

"Explains why you're so young," Jim said. It was a weak compliment.

"I wonder what your secret is," said Nick cryptically. "Anyway, I've got things to attend to. I hope you all manage to bring David back. You know, without dying or losing your mind. I never found the book you ruined after our little rendezvous in the Dreamlands."

"What?" Jim asked, expecting to be done.

Nick followed him out onto the porch. "You know the one. Between getting trapped in my own book and cursed to come here, I lost it. It's probably laying around the Enchanted Forest somewhere. How's it working out for you?"

Jim's expression soured. He gestured to his face. "See for yourself."

"You're not still planning on killing him, are you?" asked Nick. "Knowing what you know."

"No."

"What's your plan then?" Nick continued. "Because if what's happening with the Countess is any indication, that book isn't just gonna let you start aging again of your own free will."

Jim and Nick watched as Carmilla transformed into a bat and departed with the De Villes. Against the night sky, they were out of sight in seconds.

"The shears will work," said Jim, clenching his hand.

"You don't know that. And even if they will, finding that book will take forever."

"Well, I've got forever, don't I?" Jim snapped. "I'm sorry. I didn't think things would turn out like this. I should have listened to you."

Nick took a deep breath and smiled at Jim like he was going to offer some words of encouragement. Instead, he said, "Yeah, you should have. You know, after what he did to you, I wouldn't blame you if you went ahead with the story as written. If all other avenues are exhausted, that is."

Jim felt the knife in his pocket. He couldn't do that, not to Killian. Even if he really had been Hook all along. He sighed. "I think you may have gotten lucky with Gatsby."

Nick scowled. "How do you figure?"

"You got to learn you were in love with a big fake _before _it ruined your life," said Jim, smirking. "If I find that book, can you help me with it?"

"If we can't help Carmilla, we're just wasting our time."

"If we can help Carmilla with her book, will you help me with the one I ruined? Please?"

Nick sniffed and wiped his nose. "Fine. If we can figure this out, I'll help you. But good luck figuring out how to use those shears without taking a trip to the Underworld. You may want to do that while you're here. It's harder in the land of the living."

"Thanks for the tip."

Jim got back in the car with Snow. Snow was holding a walkie talkie, presumably not enchanted, and paging Lancelot. He needed to meet them at Granny's as soon as possible.

Together with Ruby and Dorothy, they were going off on another mission. Jim really hoped it wouldn't be a repeat of the night before. Once they had the group together, they followed Nick's directions to the edge of Storybrooke Heritage Park.

The park wasn't completely consumed by the Netherworld like the land beyond the town line, but the foliage had very quickly adapted itself into a decaying caricature of its former self. Brambles overtook the jungle gym and other park fixtures. Every tree positively loomed.

They wandered around the area where Jim had first met Snow and David. It was almost unrecognizable. Darius's favorite flowers were all gone and the strange glowing mushrooms were starting to sprout in their place.

"I think it's this way," said Snow, examining Nick's map. "Through those bushes into the forest."

The bushes had sprouted thorns since Jim had last passed through them. They poked at him from all directions. Jim was still picking needles out of his skin when they stumbled into the clearing where _The Albatross _still laid in pieces. The others were all staring in astonishment at something. "What? What is it?"

Lancelot just pointed ahead of them. Before them were a group of people wandering about the forest. Their attire gave them away as residents of Ingary. Their proximity to the crash site and their transparent glow gave them away as dead.

"Oh my god," said Snow, covering her mouth in shock. These were the people who died when the ship went down. A month later, they were still waiting around the wreckage. For what? All in all, it was a tragic sight.

A woman in a tattered wedding dress passed by them. She was paler than the rest, with long ringlets of flaxen hair. To the group of ghosts, she announced, "I still can't find my husband! I've looked everywhere!" She burst into tears, sitting on a rock. "This was supposed to be our honeymoon."

A small boy dressed for boarding school came up to her. He shyly tugged on her sleeve. "Did you see my mama anywhere?" he asked. The young woman shook her head.

Before Jim's heart could break any more, Snow stuck her head out and gently said, "Excuse me. We don't mean to intrude, but are you folks lost?"

The ghosts all startled upon seeing them. Perhaps they were the first living people they had seen since they died. "Who are you? Why do you look so...?" asked the woman, searching for a word.

"Opaque?" Jim suggested, only just realizing that they might not know that they're dead.

The woman squinted and leaned away. "You're from that town, the people who keep ignoring us!"

"Ignoring you?" asked Snow.

The woman charged past Snow right up to Ruby and Dorothy. She pointed her pale finger in their faces. "I've walked into your restaurant at least a dozen times asking for help and you act I'm not even there!"

Ruby and Dorothy looked at each other, unsure of what to say. Snow intervened. "Why don't you tell us what happened?

The woman sank. "There was an awful crash. We don't know where we are and all of our loved ones have disappeared. We're worried they might be..." It was too awful a thought to finish. It would be even more awful when someone bit the bullet and told them the brutal truth.

Jim thought it might be best to lead them to the conclusion gradually. "Are you all right?" he asked. "Are you hurt? When's the last time you ate?"

"I'm not sure." The woman thought it over. "It must have been nearly a month. That can't be right."

"What's your husband's name?" asked Ruby delicately. "Maybe we've seen him at the diner."

"Anthony, Anthony Hope," said the woman, trying to keep from crying.

Ruby and Dorothy conferred in whispers. There had been a distraught Anthony Hope taking lodgings at the bed and breakfast. He mentioned a wife, Johanna, who had perished in the catastrophe. He was holding onto her ashes, hoping to scatter them in Ingary if they were ever able to return.

"Is your name Johanna?" asked Ruby gently. The woman nodded, looking hopeful. This was going to be hard to hear. "I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that Anthony's alive."

"Where? Where is he?" Johanna said urgently. "Can you take me to him?"

"That's the bad news, I'm afraid," Snow began, disconcerted by her growing smile. "Here's the thing..."

She was about to break the news when a bright light split through the darkness. Everyone turned to look, shielding their eyes. Upon the hill, two silhouetted figures hovered over the earth.

One was a winged woman wielding a shining torch. The other was a young man in a white tailored suit. He wore winged shoes and held a scroll. There was a golden glow coming off of their skin.

Something about their presence told everyone to kneel and avert their eyes. Jim watched through his fingers as the strangers descended the hill, their light growing greater. They didn't seem evil, but they were still terrifying to behold.

"Come on now. Stop groveling," said the golden man with a weary voice. He put on a pair of spectacles. "Let's get this over with. Were you the passengers aboard _The Albatross,_ flying from Ingary to Francia?"

"Yes," a thickly mustached man responded in awe, keeping his eyes on the ground. "Who in God's name are you?"

"Depends on which god. I hate to break it to you, but you are dead. All of you." There was a gasp. Whoever this man was, he was extremely blunt. "Your loved ones recovered your bodies about a month ago. I'm sorry it took me so long to get here, but I'm a very busy god and playing the psychopomp isn't really in my job description anymore. My name is Hermes. This is Vanth. We will be your escorts to the afterlife."

Gods. Jim could barely believe his ears. He'd seen a lot of strange things in over a century of life: sirens, sea serpents, even a kraken or two. He could believe in a lot of impossible things. He never pictured standing before a god, or what that would even mean. Even Victor's stint with Hades hadn't felt completely real to Jim. Now it was real. Too real.

Johanna was similarly dumbstruck. "I'm... dead?"

She held her hand up in front of Jim's face. For the first time, she saw through her flesh to what was solid beyond her. The little boy started crying and begging for his mother. Jim could only imagine how his mother must be feeling.

"Look, it's almost the Hallowtide. If you get sorted into Elysium, we can arrange a visitation with your loved ones. We've gotta get you processed first," Hermes informed the crowd. He crouched in front of the weeping child. "Don't worry, junior. Kids get a 'get out of hell free' card. Now we've got another large death toll in Storybrooke on our hands, so let's make this quick."

None of this was comforting. Hermes' bedside, or rather graveside, manner was terrible. His winged associate herded the dead along like cattle by the light of her torch. Johanna took the little boy's hand. Someone had to look after him.

"Excuse me!" Snow called. She waved her hand around like one of her students. Hermes ignored her. Vanth, on the other hand, was stunned to see five living people standing among the deceased.

Vanth flew over to them, blinding them with her torch. "By the gods, are you still alive?" she asked. Her ivory dress fluttered as her wings flapped. "There aren't supposed to be living people here. What are you, vampires? Witches? Werewolves?"

"I'm a werewolf," said Ruby, raising her hand. "The rest of them are just regular humans."

Hermes, getting impatient, flew over as well. "Well, I don't know how you folks wound up in the Netherworld. Rest assured, you're not going to like the Underworld any better. Best of luck getting where you're going. Let's go, Vanth," Hermes said, speeding away again.

"We've already been to the Underworld," said Snow, stopping Hermes in his tracks. "Right now, we're headed for the Dreamlands. Any chance you know how to get there from here?"

Hermes hovered back over more slowly. His light dimmed. "The Dreamlands are sort of Morpheus's territory. What business do a bunch of breathers have there?" he asked, crossing his arms.

Snow stepped forward and straightened her spine. "My husband is under a sleeping curse," she said, her eyes piercing through his glow. "We're headed to the Cavern of Flame to break the spell."

"Great," Hermes nearly choked. "Well, Vanth, sounds like you'll be making a trip there in the not-too-distant future. I'll just put them on the list for you now. Make sure you give Morpheus my best if you see him."

"I'm confused. I thought Charon brought people to the Underworld," Ruby said, as Hermes scribbled down some notes on his scroll.

Hermes sighed and pinched his nose. "It's a little complicated right now. Now that the Underworld is up and running again, they need someone to round up all the stragglers. That used to be my job but relations with Olympus are still a little tense. I'm in the awkward position of retraining the person who I replaced."

Vanth scowled. "Not like I need training. The only thing that's changed is the paperwork."

"You know, I'm so glad to hear you say that because I'm awfully busy," Hermes rattled. "I've got a dozen other jobs to do and I don't want to be here any more than you do."

"What else do you do?" Jim asked, lowering his hand. Hermes sent him a look. "Sorry, I've never met a god before."

Hermes sighed and produced an eggshell-white business card, accented with gold foil. Jim read it aloud. "Hermes, God of Trade, Commerce, Transportation, Sports..." The list of duties was quite long. "...and Messenger of the Gods. Wow, that's quite a resume. And what are you, like an angel or something?"

Vanth shrugged and smiled. "Or something."

Hermes snatched up his card and put it back in his pocket. "Thank you. Now if you don't mind, we'd best be off. I think these people have waited long enough." Hermes began drifting away.

"Can you just show us the way?" Snow asked. "All we need is directions."

"Look at this list," said Hermes, letting his scroll completely unspool onto the ground. "We don't have the time."

Hermes continued on his way to the crowd of lost souls. Annoyed, Vanth flew after him. "Hermes! Since I'm the psychopomp again, I say they can tag along!"

Hermes tensed up. He didn't like being contradicted. He took a deep breath, rolling up the scroll. "Fine, but we're already behind schedule so can we get moving, _please?_"

With her torch, Vanth guided Snow, Jim, and the others along the path deeper into the Netherworld. Despite Hermes' prickly personality, Jim felt much safer with a pair of gods leading the way forward. Their light was sure to frighten away the monsters. If not, they could probably destroy them with a snap of their divine fingers.

It was surreal being escorted to the Dreamlands alongside a host of the dead. Jim felt awfully bad for them. Many of them were young, too young. It made him much more aware of his own age and how he ought to feel lucky.

Jim needed to change the subject running through his mind. “So, Snow, you’ve gotta tell me,” said Jim, as they followed the procession of ghosts. “Why exactly did you all go to the Underworld in the first place?” 

Snow sucked in a breath. “Wow, that is a long story," she said. She was a bit hesitant to get into it. "The short version is that Hook died and we needed to bring him back to life.” 

_“He died?”_ Jim was confused and terrified. “Why? How?”

Snow didn’t know where to begin. “Well, it all started when Emma became the Dark One. The Darkness was killing Gold and Emma sort of volunteered to be the next host. She thought she stood the best chance of resisting it. We all went to Camelot to get it out of her. Lancelot was there.” 

“I was,” said Lancelot. Jim had almost forgotten he was there. “It was strange seeing you under those circumstances, but it was good to see my friends again.” 

Snow smiled at him. “Things didn’t quite go the way we hoped. King Arthur turned out to be his cousin Mordred in disguise. We exposed him, which was good for Camelot but bad for us. _He_ would have killed Hook, but Emma saved him by turning him into a Dark One. He didn't like that. The Darkness overtook him and resurrected the other Dark Ones. Hook absorbed them into himself and, to send them back to Hades, he told Emma to kill him... which she did.” 

“Emma _ killed _ Hook?” Jim gasped, his mouth hanging open. He was so distracted, he nearly tripped on a rock and fell.

Snow continued on. “Gold helped us summon Charon to carry us to the Underworld. Dr. Frankenstein kept Hook's body on ice at the morgue while we were there, which turned out to be a lot longer than we thought.” 

Jim had a lot to process, but there was still more to know. He wiped his brow. “So what happened down there?” Lancelot was now listening too. He hadn't actually been there for that stretch of the story.

“Years ago, the Olympians abducted Hades' wife Persephone. He decided to keep anyone who entered trapped there forever as payback. When Hook arrived, Hades wanted to take the Darkness for himself so he could overthrow Zeus. We helped Zeus's son Hercules escape. He found Persephone and brought her back. Meanwhile, Cruella-"

“I have heard _ a lot _ about her this past month,” said Jim, piecing together all the tidbits of information he knew about the mysterious murderer.

“She tried staging a coup and became the new Dark One. It didn't go well," Snow said. "Persephone outsmarted her and now Cruella's trapped in Tartarus. As thanks for helping her, Persephone let Hook come home with us. Robin, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky."

Jim wanted to know more about Robin, but he heard the rapid flutter of winged shoes. "So you were the ones," said Hermes, suddenly floating beside them. "I hope you're proud of yourselves. Zeus was raging at me for weeks after that. When Olympus found out what happened, the whole pantheon was thrown into chaos! There was a schism and now everyone's fighting over the throne. Hera just packed her bags and left. Try being the messenger god in all that mess!"

Snow stood tall even as Hermes hovered over her. "At the risk of being struck by lightning, I'd say Zeus deserved it after what he did to Hades!"

"Even though Hades was helping Hyde and the Queen?" Jim interjected.

Snow waffled on that. "Hades is complicated, but Zeus is an entitled, tyrannical bully and I'm not apologizing for helping Hades reunite with his wife. And I'm not shedding a single tear if he loses his throne, even if he is the one who signs your paychecks."

"Snow?" Jim asked, alarmed by her outburst. "Are you okay?"

She huffed and readjusted the strap on her quiver. "I'm sorry, but thinking about what he did to them really makes me mad. It reminds me of what Regina did to us."

"Well, since Zeus is unlikely to remain my boss at this point," Hermes considered, "I think I'll just forget I heard that." He floated to the head of the group, but Vanth stayed behind.

"You're heroes in the Underworld, you know," said Vanth. "So many people got to move on because of you. We've been finding so many spirits that Hades shut out. It's great to finally be working again."

Vanth and Snow shook hands. "I'm sorry. Vanth, is it? I don't believe we met while we were down there."

"I've never even heard of you," said Ruby. "Sorry, I went through a bit of a classical mythology phase while I was cursed. What I mean is, I don't remember reading about you."

Vanth just shrugged it off. "Nobody really talks about the years between Osiris and Hades. It used to be me and Charon in charge of collecting souls for a long while. That one took my job until Hades shut down the Underworld. Now that Olympus and Hades are operating independently, they had to haul me out of retirement. Not that I'm complaining. Unlike him, I actually like this job."

They walked for a little while longer along a river bank until they found a sheer rock wall with a crack leading into a massive chasm. Strange mist billowed up from below. Hermes and Vanth ushered the apprehensive souls inside, promising that this was the fastest way into the Underworld. Jim, Snow, and the others followed behind.

The group reached a cave where a rocky staircase spiraled up and down the inside. The souls were headed downward, following the light of Vanth's torch. Hermes waited for the living at the midpoint.

"Well, here we are," said Hermes, sounding bored. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to drop these stiffs off at the banks of the Styx. The Dreamlands are back up that way." He pointed high above them where a dim light was glowing. "I meant what I said before. If you go to that cavern, Vanth will be sweeping your ashes off the floor there before you can say 'ambrosia.'"

"We're not scared," Snow insisted, but Jim had trouble believing her.

"Whatever. It's your funeral," Hermes quipped. "Literally."

Snow tugged on his sleeve before he could fly off. "Before you leave, you mentioned earlier something that happened in Storybrooke."

"The thing with the zombies?" asked Hermes callously. He showed Snow the scroll. Jim peeked over her shoulder. Among the names of the dead were Floyd Harrison and Hank Morgan. "It sounded like a real shit show."

Ruby looked too. She gasped when she saw Floyd. "Does this mean Floyd's out there wandering around like they were?"

"Unless you stuck a drachma in his mouth, he's out there somewhere," said Hermes, completely numb to the grief spurring their questions. "Listen, I've gotta split. Vanth will be back for your friends eventually, but her dance card's pretty full. People die every day, you know."

Snow and Ruby were aghast thinking about their friends roaming aimlessly around the Netherworld. Jim knew as well as they did that they needed to find them. Hermes was about to float down into the pit when he was met by another crowd of spirits. They weren't dressed for Ingary. It was an eclectic bunch. Hermes didn't seem to notice a difference.

"I'm sorry, but the Underworld is back that way," Hermes told them.

A woman in a long dress and sensible shoes stepped forward. The further out of the cave she stepped, the more translucent she became. Jim looked down at the Ingarian ghosts. As they marched to the Underworld, they began regaining their opacity, almost like they were alive.

"Oh, we're not with them," the woman said. "We're on our way to the Hallowtide celebration."

A man, presumably the woman's husband, produced some paperwork for Hermes to check. Hermes pulled out his glasses and took a look.

"I see," said Hermes curiously. "Be on your way then. I've got souls to process."

The man stuffed the papers back in his pocket. He looked down at the souls embarking toward the Underworld. "Don't worry!" he called to them. "The Underworld's a lot nicer than it sounds!"

"Adam!" scolded the woman. "They're having a bad enough day as it is."

Hermes rolled his eyes and flew away. A whole host of ghosts came up the steps to Hades, spilling forth into the Netherworld. Apparently, they all were planning on making a journey to attend the same event.

Snow found the first woman and pulled her aside. "Could you tell me what's going on here?" Snow asked after introducing herself. "Where are you all headed?"

The woman, Barbara, politely replied, "We're on our way back to the mortal world to visit some friends. Halloween's right around the corner and we'd hate to wait another whole year." She was practically giddy with excitement.

Jim looked at the rest of grim, grinning ghosts who had come out to socialize. "Is everyone here going?" asked Jim. "How does that all work?"

"Magic's not really our thing," said Adam, Barbara's husband. "We didn't believe in it while we were alive. Most worlds have a time when the boundary between them and the Netherworld gets thin. This will be our first time going back since we died. When we first arrived, no one was allowed to leave the Underworld."

"Yeah, you were either in or out," Barbara added, smiling. "We better get going, honey. We don't want to get lost. It was nice to meet you all!"

The couple waved them goodbye. Jim and the rest awkwardly waved back, watching the ghosts disappear into the woods.

For a while, Jim, Snow, Lance, Ruby, and Dorothy just sat by the rocks and caught their breath. They had already taken in quite a lot of information and they hadn't even reached the Dreamlands yet. Jim's stomach rumbled. He really should have brought snacks.

Suddenly, Dorothy drew a sharp breath. "Auntie Em?"

Jim looked up. From the depths of the cavern, a wizened old woman timidly stepped out. Her face was dark and wrinkled. She was dressed in gray, faded gingham. Jim suspected she died in that dress.

She must not have heard Dorothy because Jim heard the woman mumble, "My, this is an eerie place. Maybe I ought to head back. Get it together, Emily. It's not like you can die twice."

Dorothy left Ruby's side and sprinted to the woman's ghost. She accidentally dropped her crossbow. It fired and shot straight through a man's ghostly shape, hitting a tree. "Watch it!" he yelled. "You could put someone's eye out with that thing!"

Dorothy apologized and turned back to the woman. "Auntie Em," she said. "It's me. It's Dorothy."

The woman's eyes got big and glassy. "Dorothy?" She couldn't believe it. Dorothy and Auntie Em tried to hug, but Em wasn't quite solid enough and phased right through Dorothy's body. "Oh, my dear. I can't believe it's you. You're all grown up!" Aunt Em looked at the weapon Dorothy discarded. "Is that a crossbow? What in God's name are you doing in this awful place?"

"It's a long story," said Dorothy, trying to explain. "Wait here. There's somebody I'd really like for you to meet." Dorothy ran back over to Ruby, grabbed her hand, and pulled her to where her aunt was standing. "Auntie Em, this is Ruby. She, well... She's..." Dorothy couldn't talk. She just held Ruby's hand up, fingers intertwined with hers.

"I've heard so much about you," said Ruby, clearly not expecting to meet Dorothy's family that day. Jim watched from a distance. He knew he ought to give them space, but he was still curious about how Aunt Em would react.

Auntie Em covered her mouth and nose with her hands. Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes. "I wish I could hug you both but I can't," said Em, laughing through tears of joy. "Tell me everything. You were the one I wanted to visit, dear. Let's have our visit now. I don't want to make my way back to Kansas in the dark."

"Oh, I don't live in Kansas anymore." Dorothy looked around at her friends. Jim could see that she was torn. Dorothy brought Aunt Em over to meet them. "These are our friends. Snow, Jim, and Lance. We're here to... Oh, Auntie Em, I think I'm gonna start sounding crazy again."

Aunt Em just started to laugh. "I'm dead, dear. Every Tuesday, I play gin with Mary Todd Lincoln and Florence Nightingale. And I win every time. People treat me like I'm famous for being in some silly motion picture. There isn't a single thing you could tell me now I wouldn't believe."

"Well, like I said, it's a really long story and we..." Dorothy looked between her aunt and her friends. She didn't want to go, but she couldn't just abandon them.

Snow put her hand on her shoulder. "Dorothy, you and Ruby can stay here and catch up with your aunt," she said kindly. "Jim, Lance, and I can go on from here."

"We can't just leave you here!" Dorothy said, feeling guilty. Jim had to admit, having backup would be nice. Still, if his mother had been the one to come up from the cave, he'd have a hard time leaving her to go find David.

"It's okay," said Snow. "You two can catch up later. Just sniff us out."

Snow and Lancelot began walking into the cave and up the stairs. Jim stopped at the mouth of the cave, looking back at Dorothy, Ruby, and Em chatting on some rocks. He took a quick second for heading inside.

"Pardon me," said Jim, trying not to be rude. "I don't mean to intrude on anything, but uh... Mrs. Gale?"

"Call me Auntie Em, dear. Everybody does," said Aunt Em. She was turning out to be exactly like Granny.

"All right, Auntie Em," Jim corrected. "My mother died a long time ago and I have a feeling she might still be waiting for me down there. I don't know how this whole afterlife thing works, but if you could find a woman named Sarah Hawkins for me, I'd really appreciate it. There's probably a million dead Sarah Hawkins, but she died fairly young and looks a lot like me. Maybe I should write this down."

Jim handed Em a note. Her hand was just corporeal enough to move the thin scrap of paper into her pocket. "What should I tell her?" asked Em.

"Tell her I'm sorry for not being there when she needed me," Jim said, suddenly teary. "And I'm sorry for taking so long now. This might surprise you, but I'm a lot older than I look. Oh, if you run into Leland Hawkins, my father..."

"Yes?" said Aunt Em.

"Spit in the bastard's eye for me," Jim requested.

Dorothy and Ruby were horrified, but Auntie Em laughed out loud. She even slapped her knee. "Something tells me Leland Hawkins is down in the bad place. He's probably already got some awful creature spitting in his eye all day long. But, on the off-chance I see him, I'll let him know his son hasn't forgotten about him."

Jim smiled. "Thank you." He said goodbye and headed inside the cave.

As he began his ascent, he heard Aunt Em behind him. She said to Dorothy, "Speaking of bastards, how's your Uncle Henry these days? Is he still alive? I haven't seen him around down there."

Jim chuckled to himself. So this was death. It didn't look fun, but it didn't look awful. Unless one had been a truly terrible person, death seemed a lot like life. Endless and boring.

As the cavern got lighter, Jim imagined his soul sitting in the the Netherworld's twisted echo of the gorge. He might have waited days until someone found his body, beaten and bloated. Jim probably would follow them back to town, forever on the other side of some ethereal window. He'd probably scream for Hook or Jefferson to hear him until Vanth finally found him, floating down with her angelic wings.

Vanth would guide him back to this cave. Then, according to Hermes, there would be paperwork. Jim hated paperwork. It was the worst part of pirate hunting. If heaven and hell were a bureaucracy, and death was as dull and endless as his life, Jim would just keep on living. Perhaps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: A psychopomp is a mythical figure responsible for guiding souls to the afterlife. Vanth is an Etruscan deity who filled this role in their pantheon, which had numerous parallels to the Greek and Roman gods.


	4. The Trial by Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim, Snow, and Lancelot navigate the Dreamlands and find David in the Cavern of Flame.

Jim emerged from the cave, still hearing the echoing voices of the ghosts from the Underworld, and found himself in yet another forest. He would have guessed he had taken a wrong turn, but this forest was brimming with golden daylight. It was a welcome change, but as Jim looked around, he still had no idea where he was. He did his best to remember the path back to the cave as he explored. 

Somewhere ahead, he heard Snow's voice calling out for him. Jim followed her voice around the bend. When he saw her he almost didn't recognize her. Snow's hair had grown long, halfway down her back. She was dressed in furs and hides, armed like some kind of bandit. Lancelot emerged from behind a tree. He was dressed in magnificent shining armor. He still had the same sword, but it was gleaming in the light of day.

"Jim, there you are! What happened to your clothes?" asked Snow, seemingly unaware of her own transformation.

Jim looked down at himself. He was back in his long duster jacket and breeches, ready to go pirate hunting. He felt at his side. There was his scabbard and, inside it, his cutlass. Jim withdrew it and slashed at the air. Now this was more like it.

Briefly ignoring their new garb, Snow and Lancelot looked up at the alien sky. “Where are we?” asked Lancelot. “Are we still in the Netherworld?” 

“Nope. We’re in the Dreamlands,” said Jim, still admiring his long-lost blade. “And I guess it knew we were on our way to an adventure.” 

“It seems safe here, safer at least,” said Snow, taking a few more cautious steps into the thick canopy of trees. “Should we bring everyone here?” 

Jim shook his head, sheathing his sword. “I don’t think so. It’s not going to be any easier bringing them home here than in the Netherworld. People come and go from here in their dreams. I was able to visit once while awake, but it wasn’t easy. I say we find David, wake him up, and head back before we're needed elsewhere.” 

They wandered the Enchanted Woods for what felt like ages, coming across all sorts of strange flora and fauna but no steps leading higher. Jim kept his spyglass out, looking about for mountains or hills but there were only thick trees as far as the eye could see. Then, through the thinning branches, he spied some water. "I see the ocean. Come on!" It wasn't exactly what they wanted, but it might at least give them a better vantage point.

When they burst through the trees, they found themselves on a cliff overlooking a glittering ocean. It was breathtaking. Jim knew it at once. It was the Southern Sea, home of the many cities and ports in the Dreamlands. Above them was another enormous moon. Remembering Nightlight's tale, Jim wondered if that was how the Vermicious Knids made their way into the Netherworld. It was beautiful from a distance, but Jim couldn't help picturing a civilization of moon creatures annihilated by those shapeshifting beasts.

“I remember this place now,” said Lancelot, walking along the cliff's side. “I saw it in a dream once. At least, I thought it was a dream.” 

“You’ve been here before?” Snow asked. “When?” 

Lancelot massaged his forehead. “It was while I was asleep in the ruins of Vale Perilous,” Lancelot said. There was a serious story in that one sentence, but Lancelot wasn't in the mood for giving details. He focused on his time spent in the Dreamlands. “I wandered here for what felt like hundreds of years. I settled down in the city of Dylath-Leen. I think that's it across the water. Time stood still for me there. One day, something drew me back to these woods. I passed into a cavern... and then I awoke in that crystal chamber with no memory of how I got there.” 

“Did you say Dylath-Leen?” Jim asked. He'd leave his other questions for another day. “Now I know where I know you from! Weren’t you working in that tavern? What was its name?” 

“The Fairy Ring,” said Lancelot shamefully, as if it was some sort of dirty secret. 

“Are there fairies in the Dreamlands?” asked Snow innocently.

“Not in Dylath-Leen, at least not in the literal sense,” said Jim, smirking knowingly at Lancelot. The Fairy Ring was a bar notorious for attracting a very specific sort of clientele. In fact, it had been where Jim met Nick about seventy years prior. They did a shot of absinthe together, poured by none other than Lancelot himself. 

Lancelot looked embarrassed. Jim wouldn’t elaborate any further. If Snow didn’t know, it wasn’t his place to say. Lancelot must be a bit like Hook, if his relationship with Gwen was at all sincere. Jim wondered if she knew about what he had gotten up to while in the Dreamlands.

“So, Lance,” said Jim when Snow was out of earshot, “does Gwen know?” 

“Does Gwen know what?” asked Lancelot, raising his eyebrow.

“About The Fairy Ring. Does she know about you?” 

“What’s it to you?” said Lance defensively. He picked up speed to escape Jim's invasive questions.

“I’m sorry," said Jim. "It's just that the last couple I met like you and Gwen, he didn’t tell her about it. I was wondering what things were like for you.” 

Lancelot sighed and stopped to answer Jim's question. “Gwen knows, but Gwen’s like us so she’s got no room to judge,” said Lance. That was a surprising twist. “Before we met, Gwen had a bit of an affair with one of her handmaidens. Arthur didn't seem to mind. His attitude changed when I entered the picture. We both had feelings for Arthur, Gwen and I. She thought we might come to some sort of arrangement, but Arthur was too possessive and I knew he'd never see me in that way. When he learned about our dalliance, I was banished. It broke my heart twice over.” 

Jim didn't have a chance to respond to Lance's tale of woe. He heard muddy boots running toward them at a breakneck pace. Snow rushed up behind them through the trees. "Run!" she yelled, zooming past them. Jim turned to look.

She was being pursued by a crowd of small ferret-like things, with blank white eyes and tendril-covered mouths. Jim had seen one such creature in a cage before, but never in the wild. He high-tailed it and ran after Snow alongside Lancelot. The creatures hopped from branch to branch. Their intentions weren't clear, but Jim felt safe assuming they wanted to eat them. He looked behind again. The strange little ferrets weren't the problem.

Jim saw one of the poor creatures get gobbled alive by a pulsing mass of scales and fuzz. As it assimilated the creature through parts Jim couldn't make sense of, it pulled back into a rough egg shape. A single eyeball revealed itself and focused its gaze on Jim.

"Oh fuck." It was a Vermicious Knid. Jim reached for his sword. He couldn't outrun the beast, so he'd just have to fight. "I might be seeing Vanth sooner than I thought."

The Knid hissed and howled. From where, Jim couldn't tell. The creature lacked a conventional mouth. Somehow, a Knid managed to swallow a reindeer and take sizable chunks out of Carmilla and the De Villes. The Knid sprouted and coiled its tail behind it. It sprung at Jim, opening a formless maw. Jim had to guess where its brain was and hope he'd be able to hit it.

Jim thrust his sword into the Knid's mouth and up. The Knid stopped and let out an ungodly wail, but it didn't die. Snow and Lancelot rushed to help, but the Knid wasted no time engulfing Jim's sword and forearm. There was something acidic that burned Jim's skin. The Knid was trying to digest him.

"Help me!” Jim screamed. "Cut my arm off if you have to! Just get the thing off of me!" Its fangs started burrowing into Jim's flesh. He twisted the sword. Both Jim and the Knid cried out even louder.

Lancelot got in position to slice Jim's arm in half, but the Vermicious Knid went suddenly limp. Pulling hard, Jim sliced his sword back through what passed for the Knid's face. There was another enormous creature, like a boa constrictor, wrestling with the Knid. The Knid's eyes rolled back and disappeared, like it was losing air. From within the trees, an arrow flew into the Knid's flesh. The great snake released it and swiped its mighty tail at Jim, Snow, and Lancelot. They hurried out of the way.

The Knid assimilated the arrow into its body like the animal it consumed. The snake transformed into a falcon and flew high above the scene. Jim had no clue what he was even seeing. The Knid thrashed about, smoke emitting from its many appearing mouths. Its form contracted and then, with a mighty boom, the Knid exploded into sticky bits all over the forest floor. The tiny weasel beasts promptly began eating it up.

Jim felt something hit his cheek. It was a speck of green blood. He wiped it off and looked at his hand. It was red and bore a few ugly, stinging cuts. It would heal, but only with immediate care. Nick had recommended disinfectant, but that might not be enough. Maybe he could find water to clean it for now. And just what had managed to kill the monster? He looked around for a little blue sparkle, half-expecting to see Nightlight again.

Instead of a tiny light, the falcon flew back down and began sifting through the Knid's carcass. Instead of an arrow, the falcon found a little pebble. It spit it out on the ground away from the Knid and feeding creatures. The falcon and the marble shifted their shape into the form of two twin brothers. They looked quite a bit like Vanth, with black angelic wings. They congratulated each other on a job well-done.

"Found you!" said the one who'd been a falcon to the one who'd been a pebble.

From within the trees, another being emerged applauding. He touched his feet down on the ground and hid his wings. He had long silver hair, but a fairly youthful face. The twins seemed even younger. All three were handsome, but ethereal in a way Jim found slightly off-putting. "Very creative, gentlemen," said the eldest. "An explosive arrow? Inspired."

"Thank you," said the one who had pierced the defeated Knid. "The hard part was pulling myself back together again."

While the twins were busy inspecting their horrific kill, the older one looked at the three travelers that the Knid had nearly devoured. He saw Jim's wound and became alarmed. Flying over, he poured something like sand from his pocket over it and spoke an incantation. When he removed his hand, Jim's wounds had completely healed.

"Wow, thanks!" Jim said, marveling over his recovery. "Who are you guys?"

"My name is Morpheus," said the man, bowing to them. "These are my brothers, Phobetor and Phantasos. And unless I'm very much mistaken, you three are trespassing in the Dreamlands while awake."

Hermes had mentioned a Morpheus. He must be another god. At least he and his family seemed comparatively nice.

"Yes, we are," admitted Snow. "We came here from the Netherworld. Hermes sends his regards, by the way. Thank you so much for destroying that, uh..."

Jim, Phobetor, and Phantasos said in unison, "Vermicious Knid."

"Right. That thing," Snow said, still horrified by the sight. "Is that really what attacked you and Carmilla? Wow."

Morpheus picked up one of the little animals and began petting it. "They've been infesting the Dreamlands for some time now, but we think we've almost gotten them all. Creatures are meant to come here in their dreams, and they certainly aren't meant to eat everything in sight. These Zoogs are practically an endangered species now." The Zoog purred as Morpheus stroked its fur. It was cute in an ugly sort of way.

"Zoogs, huh?" said Jim, watching the others make quick work of the Knids remains. "If I recall correctly, don't these things eat cats?"

"That's correct," said Morpheus serenely, even as Snow blanched at the thought. "Kittens mostly. And feral cats eat the younger Zoogs. It's an eternal battle, but the Knids were destroying that delicate balance in our ecosystem. They don't belong here, so we hunt them. At the risk of sounding rude, I'm afraid you don't belong here either."

"We're just here on a rescue mission," Lancelot informed him. "Any chance you can help us find the Cavern of Flame?"

Morpheus and his brothers all looked uneasy. What was in that cavern that would frighten a god? "The Cavern of Flame? Why would you want to go there?"

"My husband is under a sleeping curse. So am I technically," said Snow. "We think the only way to break it will be to find him in the cavern. We don't want to stay in the Dreamlands any longer than we have to. If you can help us get there, we'll leave as soon as we're done."

Morpheus thought it over. "You'd manage better if you had come while dreaming. It's much easier to find that way," Morpheus said. "But we can help you, if you're willing to take the risk. Brothers, our new friends need a way to reach the Cavern. Care to lend a hand?"

The twins stretched and got to work. They did some kind of choreographed dance while chanting in an unknown language. The twins began to glow. When their aura subsided, in their place stood an archway made of horn and ivory. The door knockers greatly resembled the faces of Phobetor and Phantasos. They smiled, holding brass rings in their mouths.

The doors suddenly swung open, revealing a stairway ascending up into the dark. Jim learned many ways one could make a portal - Nemo's generator, Frankenstein's machine, tornados and hurricanes and such. He'd never heard of a person turning into one. Were the stairs an extension of their bodies too? Would it hurt to walk on them? Jim didn't want the answers.

"Well, there you are," said Morpheus proudly. "The Steps to Deeper Slumber. Reaching the Cavern isn't so much a matter of where you are as it is a state of mind. You'll find it straight up there. I just hope you're prepared for what's inside."

"I've been literally dreaming about this," said Snow determinedly. "I'm ready."

"That's part of the problem, actually," Morpheus told them all. "Because you're awake, the dangers in the cave can actually harm you, even kill you. I wish you the best of luck."

Jim nearly had the nerve to ask Morpheus why he wouldn't tag along if he was so concerned, but he refrained. Snow entered the gateway first, followed by Lancelot, and lastly Jim. They slowly climbed the stairs, feeling the temperature gradually increase. Jim stepped gingerly when he heard a noise he thought might be the twins' discomfort. It was probably his imagination. When they reached the top, they were surprised to find not much of anything, not even fire.

"Well, this is weird," Jim whispered, investigating the place. It was a cavern, all right. They journeyed down a dark passage. Suddenly, the light from behind vanished. The portal had closed. Morpheus and the twins must not have felt like waiting for them to get back. Jim did his best to keep from hyperventilating. He wasn't prone to claustrophobia, but this felt like a special circumstance. "Oh well. No turning back now."

Snow, Jim, and Lancelot soon found themselves in a strange room. The stone walls were intricately carved. Torches were lit to illuminate the space. Two tables carved out of green malachite bore an array of food and supplies for them. Jim sniffed at an apple. It didn't seem dangerous. Starving at this point, Jim took a bite. It was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted in his life. There were satchels there and Jim began loading up.

"What are you doing?" asked Snow, yanking the bag out of Jim's hand. "Rule number one. Never steal from the gods. Rule number two. Never eat their food! You better hope you're not trapped here forever now."

Jim dropped the apple he was munching on. "Sorry," he said, turning the bitten part of the fruit towards the wall. "I wasn't thinking."

"Sorry for snapping at you," said Snow, "but we've got one shot at this. We cannot lose focus now." Jim nodded in agreement.

They proceeded onward, but they didn't get far. Opening the door to the next room, they found themselves face to face with an enormous pillar of fire. It filled the room, burning at an intensity that they couldn't withstand. The three of them ducked back into the room behind them and shut the door.

"Now what do we do?" Lancelot asked, sweating. "You heard Morpheus. That much fire could actually kill us!"

The door creaked open, casting light upon their faces. Lancelot, Jim, and Snow stared up at a tall, stern-looking man in a golden headdress. He loomed over them, the fire crackling behind him. Jim was utterly eclipsed by his shadow. "Well," said the man curiously. "This is most unusual."

Before he knew it, Jim was being led by the man down the cavern with Snow and Lance. The man introduced himself as Kaman-Thah, guardian of the Cavern of Flame. Jim had expected him to instantly incinerate them, so anything else was an immediate relief.

Kaman-Thah doused the pillar of flame so the others could follow. Snow attempted to explain their situation, and apologize for Jim's attempted theft, but the man wasn't particularly interested in their story. They walked in silence to the main sanctum where an enormous throne sat atop an even more enormous stone ziggurat. Kaman-Thah directed them to the top, where his master awaited them.

They climbed the steep steps. At the top was another man in another gold headdress. He was surprisingly young and handsome but also a bit unnerving, something Jim was coming to expect from the gods of the Dreamlands. He calmly and politely introduced himself as Nasht. Jim assumed that _this _was the one who would kill them for intruding in his sacred space, but Nasht remained as civil as Kaman-Thah before him.

He sat up in his throne and asked, "Why have you come to the Cavern of Flame? And how did you sneak past the fire unsinged?" Snow genuflected and explained the situation, while Jim looked for a way to escape. Lancelot tugged on his arm to get him to bow as well.

Jim spied a door at the bottom of the platform that led out somewhere, but it could easily be a dead-end. All around them were statues and carvings. He tried to peek without Nasht catching him. Ancient hieroglyphics were illuminated by the fire below. Jim was starting to sweat from the stress and the sheer heat.

Snow concluded her story. Nasht called down to Kaman-Thah, "Do we have any dreamers being detained right now? This woman says her husband is here."

"No, my lord," Kaman-Thah answered from below. "We haven't had to throw anyone into the fire pit in decades."

"Not to be impolite or sound like I want to see the manager or anything," Snow began cautiously, "but could you check? He's under a curse. When we fall asleep, we just show up in the room. We've never seen you here before."

Nasht sent Kaman-Thah to what Snow called the Red Room to check. While Nasht's attendant was out, Snow listed off the people she had known to have been in the Red Room in the past. It seemed the gods of the cavern hadn't been paying very good attention over the years.

"Let's see... David. Me, thirty years ago _and _yesterday. My grandson. I know, I'm awfully young to be a grandmother. My friend Dorothy, several months ago. Um, my friend Aurora and her mother. Let me think. I'm sure there's more," Snow recounted.

Nasht seemed surprised and disturbed that so many people had been transported into the cave without him knowing. He was not an omniscient god, but Jim thought he really ought to take more ownership of his domain. Usually, dreamers had to come before him to be judged and gain entrance to the Dreamlands. It was atypical for people to, as Snow put it, "go directly to jail, do not pass Go, do not collect two hundred dollars."

Jim chuckled to himself, although he didn't understand the humor. It was funny that Snow was being playfully snarky to an imposing god figure in a room suspended over a lake of fire. She was either fearless or completely foolish. Even the brave Lancelot looked like he was preparing for death, gripping his sword tightly as he kneeled and prayed he'd be spared. When Kaman-Thah returned and announced that David was in fact here, Snow was overjoyed. She begged Nasht to allow her to kiss David and break the spell.

"Ordinarily, I'd be tempted to throw you all in the pit with him," said Nasht ponderously. "However, your story has piqued my curiosity. Never before have we had visitors come here while awake. We know there are other ways to enter the Dreamlands, but they're usually performed to avoid us. I also want to know more about this curse. Who did you say created the spell?"

"Maleficent," said Snow. "She's a dark fairy from the Enchanted Forest. I don't know how she did it. Other people learned to do it from her."

Lancelot shook his head. "It was before Maleficent. King Arthur was placed into a death-sleep like this at Avalon. It was long before Maleficent's time."

"In that case, I don't know who first created the curse," said Snow. "Honestly, I'm not sure if this is going to work. I've never broken the curse this way."

"Then we will see," said Nasht. He ordered Kaman-Thah to bring David to them. He left and, minutes later, came back alone. Nasht stood when he saw that Kaman-Thah was empty-handed. "Well, where is he?"

"I can't bring him out, my lord," said Kaman-Thah. "Something is keeping him bound to the pit."

They all immediately knew what the problem was. It was the curse. The curse was so strong, even an ancient god was unable to move its victim an inch. Nasht was astounded that mortal witchcraft had so far surpassed their own power.

"Take me to him," said Snow boldly. "It's the only way. It has to be."

"You will be facing fire that those in the waking world cannot withstand," Nasht warned her. "Are you sure you want to do this? Only the purest of heart can avoid being consumed by the flames."

Snow swallowed, then nodded. "Absolutely. I'd do anything for my husband, even this." At Nasht's behest, Kaman-Thah led Snow down from the ziggurat and escorted her through the gates to the Red Room. Jim and Lancelot were left kneeling before Nasht.

"Stand," Nasht told them. "I find groveling wearisome." Lancelot and Jim stood to their feet. "Your friend is extremely brave. Never have I seen the waking walk into the pit of fire. We use the flames here to test the hearts of dreamers, to see if they should be welcomed into the Dreamlands. Those who pass through unharmed are welcome. Those who are scorched are sent to the pit and, when we release them, they are barred from returning. I fear that if the flames deem Snow White to be unworthy, they will consume and destroy her."

Jim and Lancelot looked at each other warily. Lancelot said with certainty, "If there's anyone I know who's worthy, it's Snow."

"Agreed," said Jim. He tried to hide his concern. As pure-hearted as Snow might be, the Cavern of Flame might have higher standards. Still, if it rejected her, Jim couldn't imagine it would accept anyone short of a saint.

Jim, Lancelot, and Nasht waited in silence for what felt like forever. As they stood atop the ziggurat, Nasht said curiously, "You two have been to the Dreamlands before. You awake." He pointed to Jim, then Lancelot. "And you asleep. I don't remember you. Were you trapped in the pit as well?"

"No," said Lancelot. "I was put under a spell, but I awoke in my dream somewhere in the Enchanted Wood. I've never passed through this place."

Nasht stroked his braided beard in thought. "You," he said to Jim. "How did you break through the veil without going through your dreams?"

Jim honestly didn't have a precise answer. He didn't know how it worked. "I knew a guy who knew a guy," Jim said, shrugging. It was a weak answer to give to a god. "There was some magic involved. I paid somebody to help me and I didn't ask a lot of questions."

"Hmph. And what did you seek here?" asked Nasht. He wasn't upset that Jim had bypassed their security. He just wanted to know. Jim was fairly surprised by his decorum. Nick, Hermes, and Morpheus all made a big fuss about coming to the Cavern of Flame. Aside from the potential peril Snow was in, the people who lived here were fairly pleasant and helpful.

"I was looking for a route to a place called Neverland," Jim answered. He did his best to meet Nasht's gaze, but he was still somewhat nervous in his presence. The god's eyes seemed to glow in the firelight, staring straight into Jim's certainly unworthy soul. "Do you know of it?"

Nasht nodded. He motioned to a great map of the Dreamlands inscribed on the vault of the cave. "The children's dreamland," he mused, pointing to a small archipelago far away from the continents. "Why there?"

"I was looking for someone hiding out there," Jim explained, keeping things vague. "Someone who I believed had killed someone I thought was dead."

"That sounds like quite the story," said Nasht, smiling just slightly. Jim nodded. It surely was.

Lancelot paced around a bit. "I'm remembering now," he said. "Back at the tavern, you said you were looking for... Captain Hook."

Jim blew air out of his nostrils. He was not in the frame of mind to construct another web of deception. "Yes, I was. And, yes, Hook is in Storybrooke and, no, I no longer have plans to kill him. He explained things to me and, well, things didn't happen the way I thought."

"He didn't kill the man you loved?" asked Lancelot.

Jim was about to speak when the doors to the Red Room were thrown open and out stepped Kaman-Thah. Jim waited in rapt anticipation. Did Snow survive? Did she break the curse?

All questions were answered when the god moved aside, revealing Snow and David exiting the Red Room hand in hand. Snow's face was blackened with cinders and her hair was slightly scorched, but she had passed through the flame to David unharmed. With her kiss, she unbound him from the fiery pit and broke the Queen's curse on their hearts. Now they stood before Nasht with Jim and Lancelot.

"Hey guys," said David, aping casualness. "Long time, no see." Lancelot pulled David into a big, brotherly hug.

Snow looked over at Jim. Her eyes had begun to water. Jim could see the relief and disbelief on her face. She braved hellfire for her husband and lived to tell the tale. Someone needed to tell Henry. This was Storybook material. That could wait though.

Nasht stood before them and bowed in a show of respect. "I've lived here for millennia. People pass through so rarely now, I don't give my duties the thought that I should. We never think to check the fire pits when not in use. Had I known people were using them as a place to send their enemies, I wouldn't have allowed it to continue. Then again, with a curse this strong, I might not have the choice.

"Nevertheless, because your heart has proven itself worthy, I am going to give you both a gift. To most who enter this place, it would be a punishment. In your case however, I believe it will be a blessing. David Nolan, as god and guardian of the gates to the Dreamlands, I henceforth banish you from the Cavern of Flame. When you return to your body along the Steps to Lighter Slumber, no force of will nor show of magic will allow you to return. Do you accept this?"

David chuckled and took Snow's hand. "I do. I absolutely do. No questions asked."

"Then it is done," said Nasht. He pounded the end of his staff upon the floor and sat back down upon his throne.

"What about me? Do I also get banished?" asked Snow.

Jim stuck his hand up. "Actually, can we all get banished?"

"I can only banish the dreaming," Nasht told them. "The rest of you will have to go back the way you came. Fear not though. Kaman-Thah and I will be more observant going forward. Hopefully, we can prevent further curses from taking hold."

Snow was delighted. Not only had she freed David, it seemed they had put an end to the sleeping curse forever. She led David back down the stairs to the main doors. Kaman-Thah swung them open and brought them to the Steps to Lighter Slumber. It was the path back to David's personal dream world, from which he could finally wake. As they all looked up the stairs, the path disappeared into shadow at the top.

"Are you ready?" Snow asked as David stared at the steps.

"Are you kidding?" said Lancelot beside them. "I've never seen a man look so happy to get banished."

They all laughed, even Kaman-Thah. "I'm ready," said David resolutely. Before ascending the steps, he turned to Lancelot and Jim. "I'm sure I'll say this again once I'm up and about, but I cannot thank you enough for what you did today. Lance, you truly are the best friend I've ever had. And Jim, I can't get over how you're constantly sticking your neck out for people you barely even know. Thank you both so much."

Snow tapped David on the shoulder. "And what about me?" she said playfully. David turned around and wiped the soot off her face.

"There's nothing I could say that could hold a candle to you walking into that fire for me," said David, cupping her cheek. "Seeing you like this, you look just like you did on the day we first met. I forgot how long your hair was. Is this magic or something? Never mind. It's not important."

"What's important is you waking up," said Snow. "You march right up those stairs and I'll come get you at the hospital. As soon as we find our way back to the Netherworld, I'm headed straight to you."

"Oh, yeah. The Netherworld," David groaned. Snow pulled David into a kiss. Jim and Lancelot just inspected their shoes while the couple had their moment.

When their lips parted, David's brow furrowed. He asked, "Wait, who's watching Neal?" Snow just laughed and sent him on his way. Halfway up the stairs, David turned and said, "I'll see you on the other side."

Snow blew him a kiss. David disappeared into the darkness at the top of the staircase. Jim, Snow, and Lancelot watched him as he vanished. Their host cleared his throat. "Now, that that's all over with, I think it's best that you were all on your way." There were no arguments. They thanked Nasht for his assistance and gathered their things.

Kaman-Thah escorted them back through the cavern, past the roaring pillar of fire, to the room that was filled with food and supplies. Nasht said they could take whatever they wanted and so Jim began gorging himself on the finest produce the Dreamlands had to offer. When they had filled their sacks, Kaman-Thah opened a portal to the Steps to Deeper Slumber. Light appeared at the bottom. Jim couldn't wait to get out of the hot room into the open air.

"Thank you for everything!" Snow said sincerely. Kaman-Thah gave her the slightest of smiles in return.

Lancelot, Snow, and Jim practically raced to the bottom of the stairs. They froze when they saw the brilliant evening sky. The sun was setting on the Enchanted Woods, stars and planets fading into view amidst a great aurora. Zoogs were sleeping high up in the tree branches. Jim forgot how beautiful the Dreamlands could be. For a moment, all was well.

"I really don't want to go back to the Netherworld," said Jim, remembering. "Damn it. I should have thought really hard about bottled water and batteries. Maybe they could have conjured some."

"I'm not convinced these things won't disappear the second we leave," said Snow. "Although, I was considering growing out my hair again. Maybe it will stick after all."

Jim, Snow, and Lancelot realized that they popped out in a different place than where they entered. Wandering the area, they began to worry that they might not be able to find their way back. Fortunately, they were eventually found by Ruby and Dorothy.

Snow ran to Ruby and hugged her, practically sinking into her she was so exhausted. "I feel like I haven't seen you in a thousand years," said Snow. "We need to go home now."

"Ditto," said Jim. He looked at how different Ruby and Dorothy appeared while in the Dreamlands, dressed for battle against the Queen or the Wicked Witch. "Nice shoes, Dorothy." Dorothy looked down. On her feet were a pair of sparkling silver shoes.

"You don't think..." Ruby pondered, staring at them as well. Were the shoes special or something? As far as Jim could tell, they just looked impractical and expensive.

"It's worth a shot," said Snow, contemplating Dorothy's shoes. "It would save us quite a walk back to town."

Though Jim wasn't sure what was happening, he followed their lead and joined hands with Dorothy and Lancelot. The five of them stood in a circle, each closing their eyes. "All right. Repeat after me," said Dorothy. "There's no place like home. Say that three times, all together."

"There's no place like home," said Jim with the others. He pictured Jefferson's house when he said it. Gosh, he missed Jefferson. He hoped he was all right. Hopefully, they got their hands on that magic tree. "There's no place like home. There's no place like home."

With each repetition, Dorothy clicked her heels. Upon the third click, Jim felt a gust of wind surround them, whipping his hair into his face. When Jim opened his eyes, they were standing next to Snow's car on the edge of the park in Storybrooke. It was still pitch black outside. The Netherworld's moon shone brightly down upon them.

Jim felt for his things. "Aw, damn it!"

Everything he found in the Dreamlands was gone. His weapons, food, and supplies had all vanished. Lancelot was out of his armor. Snow was back to looking like a school teacher with her pixie cut. Ruby and Dorothy once again looked like waitresses dressed to go hiking.

"Oh well. At least we're home," Jim said.

Snow suddenly remembered. "I need to go find my husband!" she said, perking up. "Ruby, Dorothy, I can drop you off at Granny's if you want. Lance, could you take Jim back to Jefferson's for me?" Lance nodded. "Listen, everybody, I don't have the energy for a big speech but thank you for helping out today, all of you. I couldn't have done it without you."

Snow drove away with Dorothy and Ruby. Jim walked awkwardly with Lancelot to the Sheriff's Department where Lancelot had his car parked. Lance wasn't exactly the best driver. On the ride back to Jefferson's, Jim learned that he and his wife were relatively new to the area.

Jim got out at Jefferson's driveway and bid Lancelot farewell. He wasn't quite sure whether or not Lance liked him, but he was too worn out to care. He was, however, quite interested in hearing about Jefferson's day. Jim ran inside as Lance drove away, taking with him the only light on the desolate street.

Inside the house, Jim said hello to Izzy, Grace, and Violet who were just finishing up dinner. The apple Jim ate in the Dreamlands seemed to have vanished from his stomach. He threw his things down in the room he reclaimed from Carmilla and got straight to eating. After a second helping of lukewarm chowder, Jim got up and held a candle to the clock. It was nearly ten at night. They'd been gone almost the entire day. That made Jim worry for Jefferson, who really ought to have been home by now.

He and Izzy assured Grace that her father was fine. Something in Violet's eyes didn't believe him as readily as Grace did. Violet really needed someone to talk to, but Jim wasn't sure he was the right person for the job. Izzy sent Grace and Violet back to their room upstairs with some dessert she swiped from the grocery store.

Exhausted from his trip to the Dreamlands, Jim decided to just head to bed. Izzy would wake him up when Jefferson came home. He slipped into his night clothes. Jim sat on his guest room bed and looked across the hall at Jefferson's room. He could only see it by the moonlight streaming through the window - the window Jim broke weeks ago.

He didn't know exactly what possessed him, the total darkness or the eerie silence. Jim decided he felt more comfortable sleeping in Jefferson's room, at least till he got home. The bed was more comfortable anyway. Izzy didn't notice as Jim sneaked over to the adjacent door.

Jefferson's pillow smelled like him. His cologne and shampoo had a very distinctive, citrus-like aroma. Jim got a decent sense of it when Jefferson found him on the bridge and held him as he cried. What a truly embarrassing moment. Were it not for necessity, Jim might have had serious trouble looking him in the eyes again. Jim grabbed another pillow and held it between his arms. As he quickly drifted off, he prayed for Jefferson to come home.

Jim awoke. It could have been five minutes later or five hours. The moon hadn't moved. Jim checked the battery-powered clock on the nightstand. It was 9 AM and Jefferson still wasn't home. Jim sprang up and walked down the hall to find Izzy. This was officially an emergency. Izzy was in the dining room making sure the girls ate breakfast. All of them were silently distressed about Jefferson's absence.

"He's not back yet?" Jim asked Izzy, pulling her aside. She shook her head. "What's taking him so long?" Jim started to pace about the parlor. Izzy offered him something to eat, but he was too anxious to be hungry.

"I don't know what's happened to him," Izzy said, clearing the table. She whispered to avoid worrying Grace and Violet. "The way you made it sound, something out there probably ate him for lunch. They're probably using his ascot as a napkin right now."

Jim would have laughed if the thought wasn't so horrendous. He groaned. "Why does he always wear those anyway? I mean, they look nice, but-"

Jim was cut off by headlights, followed by a knock at the door. He prayed to God it was Jefferson who had left his key at home. When Jim swung open the front door, he was instead greeted by Hook. He looked even worse than before.

"Killian? Sorry. _Hook?_ What are you doing here? You know, we could have really used your help yesterday. We needed to help Snow..." Hook sighed and held up his hand to quiet him. Then he raised his other arm. "What's that?" asked Jim.

Jim took a closer look. Suspended from his gleaming hook was Jefferson's paisley purple ascot. Fuck.


	5. New Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim quickly arranges a search party to go find Jefferson and August in a creepy town full of monsters. This leads Jim to meeting up with the local vampire clan and encountering Carmilla and the Queen.

Jim grabbed the ascot right off the hook. He looked at it more clearly in the candlelight upstairs. Hook followed him up the steps.

This couldn’t be possible. Jefferson couldn’t be gone. It was Jim's worst nightmare coming true. Was he lost? Was he dead? All of the worst conclusions were circulating through Jim's mind.

“What happened?” Jim begged Hook, shaking the fabric at him. “Where did you find this?”

“I didn’t find it, mate,” said Hook, surprised by Jim's intensity. “Grumpy and Bashful did.”

Hook pointed his thumb back down the stairs to where two dwarves were entering. One was gruff-looking and balding. The other had big doe eyes and seemed ill at ease in Jefferson’s dark, cavernous house.

“Were you with Jefferson in the forest?” Jim asked, a little too urgently for Bashful’s liking. He hurried down the stairs holding the ascot. The shy dwarf jumped slightly and then nodded. “What happened? You’ve gotta tell me.”

Izzy walked back into the room holding a glass of bathtub water. She was caught off-guard by the group that had suddenly assembled in the foyer.

“Hook? Leroy? What’s going on?” Jim held up the ascot. It took her a second, then Izzy gasped. “That’s Jefferson’s neck thing! His ascot!”

“It’s not quite as bad as it looks,” said Bashful delicately, not quite believing his own words. Shivering, he went to close the door. Jim's sudden proximity shut the door when Bashful backed into it in surprise.

“How is it not bad?” Jim asked, holding it in the shuddering man’s face. “How is _this_ not bad?”

Grumpy tried to talk Jim down. “Hey, back off, all right?” he told him. “Jefferson took it off to wipe some sweat off his forehead. He only dropped it when, well…”

Jim was getting impatient. Jefferson could be at the brink of death somewhere while these morons beat around the bush. Grumpy looked back at Bashful, hoping he might be able to explain things better.

“Was it that monster?” Jim asked. “That giant bony thing? Were there any spectral dog creatures running around?”

“Can we come upstairs? It’s freezing down here,” Grumpy asked, but he was unlikely to take no for an answer.

Grumpy went up the stairs and sat down. He tracked dirt inside, which Jim was sure would have made Jefferson furious. Bashful wiped his feet and followed after him.

“So, we were going through the forest beyond the town line, looking for one of those magic trees,” said Grumpy, recounting the incident. “It was like they were hunting for a Christmas tree or something. If August liked one, Jefferson said it wasn’t good for carving runes. If Jefferson liked one, August said the magic was weak. We were there for an hour waiting for them to make up their fucking minds.”

“We heard this growling,” Bashful added.

Jim felt his stomach start to sink. He sat down next to Izzy and held his head in his hands.

Grumpy continued, “We ran out of there as fast as we could. We assumed Jefferson and August would keep up. They’ve got longer legs. We hid behind some trees and saw the dogs circle around them.” Jim fully expected this was the moment that Jefferson was eaten alive. “That’s when they got taken.”

“Taken? By who?” Jim asked, trying to make Grumpy get to the point. “Where did they go?”

“I don’t know where they went, but I’ll tell you what I saw,” said Grumpy. “These three kids showed up right after the dogs. They must have been, I don’t know, sixteen. Maybe seventeen. There was one who had horns sticking out of his head like he was some kind of demon.”

Grumpy used his fingers to illustrate the point. Bashful cut in, “There was this other one who had tattoos all over his face, like a skull. But the girl…” Bashful shuddered. “She must have been a witch or something. She shocked them with magic and they both keeled over. We thought they were dead, but the demon kid took their pulse before tying them up and hauling them off.”

“And you didn’t do anything?!” Jim burst, causing Bashful to cower.

“What were we supposed to do against a witch, a demon, and some freak with face tattoos? We had a hard enough time getting out of there without alerting those dogs!” Grumpy retorted, trying to calm Bashful down.

“Fucking hell,” said Jim, tugging at his hair. He took out the elastic hair tie Jefferson had thoughtfully swiped for him and retied his hair.

“We ran into some ghosts on the way back too, but they didn’t give us any trouble,” Grumpy added. “There was a whole parade of them. We were able to follow them back to Storybrooke.”

“Ghosts? Human ghosts?" Jim's head shot back up. He looked at Grumpy curiously. Grumpy nodded and said yes. “Was there a married couple, Adam and Barbara?”

“I may recall some marital squabbling,” said Grumpy, wondering what Jim was getting at. “That Adam guy was dumb as shit. We told them about the monsters. They said they were headed in their direction. All the ghosts were - something about crossing over.” Grumpy shrugged. It was all nonsense to him.

That was something Jim could work with. They just had to follow the ghosts and they’d eventually lead him to Jefferson, provided he was still alive. “All right. Where exactly were they going? They told Snow and me about the Crossover, but they didn't mention where it happens.”

Grumpy and Bashful looked at each other like they were about to say something ridiculous. “It’s some town on the other side of the forest, away from all those trees with the doors," said Bashful. "They go there on Halloween.”

It must be the town Nightlight had mentioned, the one they suggested they send Carmilla. Jim had already infiltrated one town in the past month. He could do it again. He just had to remember Nadir's advice. Blend in. Look like you belong.

How was Jim supposed to do that exactly? The only creatures he'd met were a pack of hellhounds, the Bone Man, and those goddamn Vermicious Knids. As he paced about the parlor, Jim figured he needed to look like some kind of monster. That's what supposedly lived here. Vampires and werewolves and the like. Vanth and Hermes had been utterly shocked to see live humans. That made Jim all kinds of conspicuous.

Then Jim had a brilliant idea.

Jim went with Hook to the Sheriff's Department where he relayed his plan to Snow and David. If they could distract the Bone Man, Jim and a small band of others could sneak through the forest into the other town. Once there, Jim would find some kind of disguise and then they'd get to locating Jefferson. And August. Jim kept forgetting about August.

"Who do you have in mind?" asked David, in regards to Jim's accomplices.

Snow was sitting in his lap at the head of the meeting room table. Jim pretended not to notice how obviously happy they were to be reunited. David held his arm around Snow's waist like she'd vanish if he let go. They were both playing with Neal, their attention never completely on Jim.

"I need monsters. Who have we got?" replied Jim, already having a few in mind.

Ruby was an obvious pick. If things got dicey, they could always release the wolf. Adam Frankenstein was another easy choice, but he didn't like being cast as "the Monster" and couldn't be dragged away from his work at the hospital. Carmilla and the De Villes would be useful if they could find them, but Snow said she hadn't seen her since their meeting with Nick.

"Who else?" Jim asked. "There's gotta be somebody else. You've got fairies and mermaids here. Don't you have a minotaur or something running around?" They were fresh out of minotaurs.

Snow clearly had a thought, but she seemed reluctant to say it. "This is going to sound mean, but have you considered asking Quasimodo for help?" That was actually a bit mean, especially coming from Snow. "I feel bad saying it, but he could easily pass for a troll or something. I'm just saying it's an option. He's very capable. I'd trust him to get the job done."

Jim mulled that over. He didn't know how he'd approach that. _"Hey, Quasi, we're sneaking into some monster town and we think you'd blend right in!"_ He couldn't think of a more hurtful thing to say. But Snow had a point. There had to be some way to sugarcoat it.

After recruiting Ruby and Dorothy - who said she had enough experience to pretend to be a witch - the group wandered the circus caravan in search of Quasimodo. It was strange there, stranger than usual. The lights were still on in the Phantasmagorium and music was pouring out.

Apparently, Clopin had taken to arranging performances in exchange for supplies. People really needed something to cheer them up in the Netherworld. A circus must seem like a pretty good option. It's not like they had Netflix here.

Quasimodo wasn't a performer though. He was Erik's personal assistant. Where was Erik? Jim remembered. He and Trilby were being kept safe from the Queen somewhere outside Storybrooke. They must have been lucky enough to avoid the Queen's wish.

During intermission, Jim found Esmeralda and asked about Quasi. She didn't know. Neither did Jasmine. The freaks at the side show didn't know. The tango dancers and acrobats didn't know. Finally, Jim gave up and checked the only place he could think of: Erik's secret room.

Jim told Ruby and Dorothy to wait while he knocked on the side of the fake prop wagon. "Quasi? Quasimodo?" Jim called. "It's Jim. Are you in there?" Jim knocked some more, preparing to jimmy open the door if necessary.

The door cracked open. Quasimodo's more prominent eye peeked out. "Hello? Jim, what are you doing here?" asked Quasi timidly.

"Hey, Quasi," said Jim with a fake, reassuring smile. "How are you?"

Quasimodo looked at him strangely. "Fine, all things considered. How have you been?"

"I'm good. I've got food and water. If you need anything, let me know," Jim said casually. Quasi would need to be warmed up before Jim asked for his help. "Listen, we've come up with a plan to get us all out of here."

Jim explained everything. The doors. The ritual. Needing Emma and Regina's magic to make it work. He ended on Jefferson's abduction. Jim left out the part where he was selecting teammates based on their various kinds of monstrosity. "So, are you in?"

"Why me?" Quasimodo said, confusedly. Jim really hoped he wouldn't ask.

"Well..." Jim paused for as long as he could to think. "The Sheriff's Department is tied up dealing with the Queen and, without Regina and Emma, we're sort of relying on the townspeople to pitch in. We were asking ourselves, 'Who's strong and agile and kind of stealthy?' Then Snow said, 'What about Quasimodo?'"

Quasimodo was disarmed. "Snow White suggested _me?_" The way he said it made Jim feel awful. The poor guy must never get asked to join anything.

"Yeah! You, me, Ruby, and Dorothy. They're waiting for us over by the concession stand," Jim said, gesturing over yonder. "We tried getting Carmilla and Adam, but he's too busy and she's nowhere to be found. What do you say?"

Quasimodo started pacing and rubbing his neck. "I don't know..."

"This is our only chance of getting out of the Netherworld. Without Jefferson - and August, I guess - we're stuck here. Maybe forever." Quasimodo still wasn't sold on it. "If we don't find them, we might end up starving to death or getting eaten by monsters or something. Clopin, Jasmine, _Esmeralda. _They're all in danger."

Jim said the magic word. Quasimodo's crooked face took on a resolute look. "All right. I'm in. When are we going?"

"As soon as possible." Jim was mentally cheering but he didn't tell his face.

"And how are we getting there?" asked Quasi, fetching his coat. Jim noticed that it had been sown haphazardly with extra fabric to fit over his hunch.

"Easy," said Jim. "We just follow the ghosts." Jim could see the regret wash over Quasimodo like a wave.

Ruby and Dorothy rejoined them after a stop to buy some funnel cake. After a snack and a moment to use the facilities, they all loaded into Ruby's car. Dorothy's hand clutched the steering wheel while Ruby kept her red cloak draped over her shoulders. They drove till they saw some more translucent people and followed the train of them to the town line.

They got out of the vehicle. David and the others were already there in Snow's car. The truck wasted too much gas. They were armed to the teeth, ready to take on the Bone Man. Snow, David, Lancelot, and Hook waited for Jim's cue to move ahead.

"You know what you're doing?" David asked, loading his gun and setting it in the holster.

"Absolutely not," said Jim. "But we're doing it anyway. We're gonna get them back."

They started into the woods. Jim's group hung back behind David and Snow's group, all following the caravan of ghosts. When they got closer to the grove of enchanted trees, Jim and company hid in the foliage while the others made an unnecessary amount of noise to lure the Bone Man out.

It was dead silent, then Snow let out a scream. The Bone Man rushed them. Snow ducked beneath his swinging arms. David and Lancelot came at him with their swords. David managed to slice off the creature's arm, but it picked the arm up and stuck it back like before. There wasn't even any blood. It was one-hundred percent bone. Snow shot an arrow at its skull from higher upon the hill. With Hook bringing up the rear, the four of them herded the Bone Man away into the woods.

"Are they gone?" Jim whispered to Ruby. She nodded. "All right. Let's go."

Jim, Dorothy, Ruby, and Quasimodo came out of hiding. They passed through the grove of strange doors into the forest where the ghosts were still marching on. Quasimodo looked around at the doors. "What are these things?"

"Portals to other worlds," Jim answered. "I don't know where the other ones go, but that one leads to some snowy place. After we get Jefferson and August back, we're gonna need to cut down one of these trees to make one of our own. I don't know the details. That's Jefferson's thing. God, I hope he's all right."

"You really care about him," Ruby observed. She said it innocently, but it felt like an accusation.

"Yeah, well, he's a nice guy," said Jim. "He's had it rough. I feel bad for him, especially after I broke into his house."

Ruby inhaled the cool night air. "Jeff doesn't get close to many people," said Ruby, looking up at the moon. "He must really like you."

"He better. I was the one who found him in the forest and brought him to the hospital," said Jim, forgetting that was meant to be a secret. "Aw, fuck."

"The forest? You guys said he was in a car accident," Ruby said. Dorothy leaned in to listen.

Jim brought his palm to his face. "You weren't supposed to know about that. Look, it's Jefferson's business but there was a medical emergency. I was there to help him out and he doesn't want people knowing the details."

"I knew you guys were lying," Ruby said, feeling vindicated. "He can be so secretive sometimes. I don't know why. It's probably his pride more than anything. I know he's not always well mentally. He's told me that before. I'm really glad he has you. He needs someone to open up to."

"I think he might be keeping some things from me too," said Jim, "but it's not really my concern."

Ruby shrugged. "You've only been here a month and you've gotten farther with him than we ever did." Dorothy gasped. Ruby went to her side. "What is it, babe?"

Dorothy was standing at the edge of a cliff in between two trees. She pointed across a wide, mist-laden moor. The others crowded around her to see. In the distance, illuminated by the moon, sat a sleepy town full of twisting spires and smokestacks. Through the blanket of fog, Jim could make out the silhouette of enormous castle. The ghosts were all congregating on the outskirts. Jim could tell by their glow.

As Jim and his friends made their way down the hillside, all the ghosts kept turning and whispering. They weren't town residents, so it didn't matter, but soon Jim would be running into real live monsters. He wasn't wearing a witch's hat or smelling like werewolf. He wasn't even particularly ugly. He was so average that he stood out like a sore thumb.

When Jim saw Adam and Barbara waving from across the moor, he knew it was time for a new plan. Jim pulled his friends aside into a nearby graveyard. "Look, I'm not going to last two seconds in there without a disguise," he said, huddling them together. "If I hide out here, can one of you find me something I can wear to blend in?"

Ruby was going to say yes, but then a voice hollered, "Jack! Jack! Oh, mistletoe, where is he? Jack!" The voice was familiar, soft and airy. Jim turned to look and, sure enough, a little ball of icy blue light was hovering over the ground.

"Nightlight." Jim smiled and dashed over to the fairy, who was darting about in search of something. "Hey, Nightlight!"

The fairy came to a halt. "You again? What are you doing out here? This place isn't safe for people. You should all be back in Storybrooke."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," said Jim as the others drew near. Nightlight froze up when they saw Dorothy's witch hat. "It's cool. They're with me. Guys, this is the fairy I was telling you about! Nightlight here conjured that sleigh and reindeer out of a pumpkin and some rats. "Say, Nightlight, do you think you could do us one teeny, tiny favor?"

Nightlight rolled their eyes. "What now?"

"We need to sneak into town, but I don't really look the part."

"You think?" said Nightlight. "So what, you want me to make you a new outfit? What are you doing here anyway?" Jim told them about their abducted friends. Nightlight listened and then floated overhead, thinking. "Fine. I'll make you a disguise, if you do one thing for me. I'm only in this cesspit because someone I was supposed to watch snuck off and now I can't find him. I could really use your help."

Jim looked at the others. They could do that. They could try, at least. "All right. What does he look like?"

"He's about your height," said Nightlight. "Pale skin, snow-white hair. He looks around seventeen-ish. He's probably wearing a blue coat and carrying a shepherd's crook. It's sort of his thing. He answers to Jack. If you see him, just call out my name. I'll hear you."

"I think we can manage that," said Jim, looking confidently at the others.

"Wonderful. Now hush and let me think this through," Nightlight instructed, closely examining Jim's appearance. Jim stood still while Nightlight worked their magic over him.

“We want this spell to last, so I’m going to make this as simple as I can,” Nightlight said, showering Jim with sparks. Nightlight said a few more nonsense words like they used to create the sleigh. "_Dentistilletta, derminablanca, bibidi-bobidi-boo!"_

Jim felt as his cuspids started to dig into his lower lip. He looked at his hand. All the red tones drained out of his skin, leaving him with an unnatural pallor. He was cold, like a corpse. When the spell was complete, Nightlight conjured a mirror and held it up to Jim’s face. He was, at least in appearance, a vampire.

“Wow, I look great,” said Jim with a strong affected accent. "Wait. Why can I still see my reflection?"

Nightlight smiled uncomfortably. “You're not a real vampire. Also, don’t do the voice,” they cautioned. “This isn’t Transylvania. Speaking of, where's your vampire friend? Shouldn't she be helping you?"

“Oh, sorry,” said Jim, a little out of his depth. "I don't know what happened to Carmilla. She's around here somewhere."

“What about me?” said Quasimodo, looking left out. Jim had forgotten about Quasi, the only supposedly normal one left in the bunch.

Nightlight looked at him quizzically. They didn't realize Quasi was human. None of the ghosts had been giving the hunchback any funny looks. He looked, sadly, quite ordinary in a town of monsters. Neither Jim nor Nightlight had the heart to say so, so Nightlight humored him by giving him pointed ears and blue-gray skin. Quasi was quite pleased with the results.

"Any other people I need to enchant?" Nightlight asked as they wandered back toward the town gate.

"No, the rest of the party is off distracting the Bone Man," said Jim, avoiding eye contact with the monsters roaming the streets. "They're probably back in Storybrooke by now."

"Great," said Nightlight, clearly growing tired of them. "In that case, I've gotta get back to looking for Jack. Good luck finding your friends."

Nightlight fluttered away over the city where no one could distinguish them from the stars overhead. "Thanks, Nightlight!" Jim said as they disappeared. Nightlight didn't say anything back. "All right. Let's go. For real this time."

Jim kept licking at his fangs. By the time he got used to them, they'd probably have worn off. They approached the gate where the ghostly throng waited. It was difficult getting through the crowd. More that once, Jim had the unpleasant experience of walking into one, getting a horrible chill.

They waited in line to reach the gate where they were greeted by a decaying man in a pinstriped suit. He had green hair and gangrenous skin. His eyes were deeply ringed. Apparently, he was in charge of checking the ghosts' visas for entry.

"Well, you look like a fun bunch of freaks. Who the hell are you?" he said in a gravelly voice. His breath was rancid. Jim tried to think of something, anything. He did not plan their story well. The man looked suspiciously from Jim to the rest. "Vampires don't usually hang around folks like them. What are you up to?"

The man grabbed Jim's collar and spun him around. He smelled Jim's skin. He ignored the fangs and pallor and looked straight into Jim's eyes, searching them for something that would betray them. Ruby stepped forward to interrupt the impromptu examination.

"We're new in town, actually!" she said, aping casualness. "My name's Ruby. I'm a werewolf. This is Dorothy and Quasimodo. The one you're holding onto is..."

"Philip. Philip Cassell," Jim squeaked, thinking on his feet. His alias sounded more vampire-like than something as pedestrian as "Jim." He made sure the man got a good look at his fangs. "Viscount of Porthaven."

"New, huh?" said the man, releasing him. "Well, why didn't you just say so? We love new people!" The man whistled loudly. "New arrivals!"

In the distance, Jim could hear the rumbling sound of hooves. "Wait right here. The Nightmares are on their way." Nightmares? Jim didn't like the sound of that. The gatekeeper took one more whiff of Jim. "You must have just gotten here. I can still smell the human on you."

Quasimodo slouched down even shorter than he already was. "You can?"

The gatekeeper sniffed at the air around them like a dog. "Before I started working immigration, I used to round up stray humans for removal. That's a young poltergeist's game."

Dorothy raised her hand and asked, "Are witches not considered human here?"

"You get a pass," said the man, belching. "I'd love to give you folks the grand tour but I've got to process the rest of these Underworld stiffs. You've arrived at a very special time of year. It's the big Crossing-Over! You won't wanna miss that."

A black carriage pulled up to the gates, pulled by four inky black horses. Their manes blowing in the breeze were like mist. The gatekeeper guided them through the gates and handed them off to an animate skeleton holding the horses' reigns. He tipped his hat to them and helped them aboard the carriage.

The gatekeeper returned to his post. As Jim was climbing into the carriage, he heard the man exclaim, "Well, as I die and rot, Adam and Barbara! My old friends!" Adam and Barbara let out an ungodly scream.

With the crack of a whip, Jim and his friends were off, driven to God-knows-where by another gruesome ghoul. The skeleton turned its head a full half-rotation to ask, "So what brings you all to our fair city? Let me guess. Pitchforks and torches?" He let out a loud cackle. Apparently, that was meant to be a joke.

Jim decided to play along. He cleared his throat and said, "Yes, we were run out of our home world by humans. We came to the Netherworld seeking refuge." He tried to sound regal and imposing like Carmilla, but mostly he just felt silly.

"Well, you have come to the right place!" said the skeleton. "Here in the Netherworld, we take in all kinds of folks. Don't you worry. You'll have a coffin and some fresh blood to drink in no time." Jim gulped. He really hoped no one would ask him to drink blood.

"So where are we going?" asked Ruby, sensing Jim's discomfort. "And what exactly is up with these horses?"

"Oh, these aren't horses," said the skeleton, turning his head back around. Jim license said 'Benny' next to his picture. "These are Nightmares. I know, I know. It's a pretty bad pun, but don't let anyone say the Nightmare King doesn't have a sense of humor."

"The Nightmare King?" asked Dorothy, holding onto her hat so it didn't fly away in the wind.

They rounded a sharp corner. Jim had to grab onto Quasimodo to keep him from flying off the carriage. Benny laughed at the accident he nearly caused. "Sorry about that. You really came here knowing jack shit about the Netherworld? Things in your old world must have been pretty bad."

Jim puffed some air out of his pursed lips. "You could say that." Considering everything that happened with Hyde and the Queen, it was more or less the truth.

Benny drove them in a circle around a great stone fountain. A sculpture of a basilisk spit out glowing green ooze. Jim wasn't sure where to look first in this town. The buildings were all skewed and twisted, like they were built on a diagonal. The city park was full with gnarled, skinny trees and brambles. An enormous jack-o'-lantern blazed upon a pedestal in the distance.

They began wheeling through a market. Benny nudged Dorothy with his bony elbow. "This here is Nightshade Center. It's got a ton of apothecaries and potion shops for witches who aren't looking to spend too much." Shoppers dove out of the path of the cart to avoid being trampled.

Benny took a right and drove around the old City Hall. "Here's the main event," said Benny. Jim and the others looked up with wide eyes at an enormous black castle. It was even bigger up close. "There it is. Nightmare Castle."

It had spires like daggers stabbing the sky and a keep that looked like a maximum-security prison. The word "ominous" wouldn't begin to describe this monstrosity of a building. Jim could only assume that whoever entered that castle never came out. Then a really awful thought occurred. What if Jefferson and August were being held there?

"So what exactly happens in Nightmare Castle?" Jim asked, trying not to sound too tense or inquisitive.

Just when it seemed like they were headed straight for the castle gates, Benny took a left turn around the castle's perimeter. Jim looked over the spiky fence, trying to see what was happening in the courtyard. The grounds were obscured by weeping willow trees, but he could clearly spy a moat. It was also glowing green.

"I don't know. Royal decrees or something," said Benny, not too interested. "The building's still pretty new. It's not open to tourists. The Nightmare King values his privacy."

"And who's the Nightmare King?" asked Jim. He wasn't getting anything from this guy.

"The King? Well, he..." The carriage hit a bump. Benny caught sight of something that threw him off his train of thought. "Here we are! Samhain Square!"

The Nightmares skidded to a halt that almost threw them out of the carriage. Benny hopped down and helped them out onto the cobblestone pavement. Dorothy looked ready to be sick, but she forced it down.

Benny pointed to a small building across the courtyard, past an enormous fountain shaped like Medusa holding the head of Perseus. Green ooze poured out of Perseus's slack mouth and every snake. Somewhere in this world had to be actual drinkable water.

"You folks take care now!" Benny handed them some maps of the city. Side panels advertised the local witches' coven, wolf lodge, and social club for vampires. That gave them all pretty good leads.

"Wait!" said Quasimodo, before Benny could take off. "What about me? Where should I go?"

Benny looked down at the odd little monster. He scratched his jawbone. "Well, I don't know what the hell you are, so I'd suggest trying Monsters Miscellaneous. They meet at the old town hall. There's probably someone in there now handing out pamphlets."

Jim located the town hall on the map. It was a bit of a walk.

"If you see someone from MM, make sure you tell 'em Benny set you!" With that, he cracked his whip and sped away, leaving them standing under a streetlamp in a daze.

The streets on the map were a confusing maze, like they had just been slapped onto the ground as the city expanded. Nightmare Castle dominated the page. There was a forest beyond the walls, even the curly hill, but no mention of the trees bearing portals to the worlds outside. Was it meant to be a secret? It was all a mystery.

"What do we do now?" asked Ruby, as they scanned their surroundings. "Split up and search?"

"I don't know if we should split up while we're here," said Dorothy. "This place is giving me the creeps."

"What if we broke off into pairs?" Jim suggested. "You and Ruby visit the wolf pack and the coven. Quasi and I will meet the vampires and the monsters at MM. How about we take two hours to find out what we can and then meet right back here? Sound good?"

Dorothy and Ruby silently conferred. "Sounds good," said Dorothy. She and Ruby walked off in the direction of the witch coven, leaving Jim and Quasi standing there alone.

They watched for a while as various ghouls and aberrations set up tents for the festival. People smiled at them. They politely waved back. Maybe everything would be okay. For Jefferson's sake, it would have to be. Jim and Quasi set off down a cobblestone road back in the direction of Monsters Miscellaneous.

Jim did his best to follow the map, but they ended up taking a very long shortcut through a winding alley only to find themselves in yet another spooky courtyard full of vendors. The crowded streets were not well-marked and the festival only made them look more identical. They found a quiet corner to regroup.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Jim caught a hint of white. At first, he thought it might be another ghost. There were hundreds. He looked over and saw, walking away from a candy cart, a living human boy of about seventeen. He pointed the kid out to Quasimodo, who had joined a crowd watching a creature juggle flaming batons with its tentacles.

The boy, Jack, was wearing a blue hooded coat and no shoes. He held something akin to the wooden shepherd’s crook Nightlight described. If Jim didn’t know any better, he would have guessed the kid was homeless. The thing that caught Jim's attention was his snow-white hair, which he was poorly hiding beneath his hood.

"I think that's him! Nightlight's friend!" Quasi reluctantly left the circle of people to follow Jim. "I'm gonna call them. Nightlight!"

Just like that, within seconds, Nightlight descended from the sky in an orb of blue light. They floated in front of Jim in anticipation. "Did you see him? Where is he?"

Jim pointed him out again, who was eating some orange and black cotton candy. When Nightlight saw him, they fought the urge to zoom over and tear out a lock of his hair. They decided to take a stealthier approach, directing Jim and Quasi to stand behind him just in case the kid made a run for it. Getting into position, Jim really wondered just what the hell was going on. He had been operating under the assumption that Nightlight was the kid’s fairy godparent or something, but now it seemed more dire.

“And just what do you think you’re doing here?” Nightlight scolded. Sure enough, the boy immediately tried to run for it, but he ran right into Jim. Nightlight continued in a harsh whisper. “Do you have any idea how much danger you’re in? How much danger I’m in? Why? Why would you come here, when you know Pitch is nearing the height of his power?”

The kid huffed and rolled his eyes. “You’re not the boss of me, Nightlight! I’m an adult. I can make my own decisions.”

“Jack, you’re seventeen!”

“I’ve been seventeen for the past three hundred years!” Jack fired back. “I think I can round up.”

Nightlight took a deep breath. They pinched the bridge of their nose. After they had relaxed a bit, they calmly asked again, “Jack, please. Just be honest with me. What are you doing here?”

“I just wanted to see the festival. It's almost Halloween,” Jack said. He held up his cotton candy, a token of his innocence. "What's the problem?"

“Oh, don’t give me that deer shit,” snapped Nightlight.

“I'm telling you the truth!” Jack protested. “And who are these guys?”

Jim was about to introduce himself, but Nightlight cut him off. “Never mind them. Why on earth would you want to come to a festival in _the Boogeyman's kingdom?_” Nightlight demanded of him. "You can get candy back at the workshop."

Jack’s mouth twisted around, forming the beginning of several sentences. “I wanted to see the Crossover. You know, it’s a big deal.”

“You wanted to see the Crossover?” Nightlight asked in disbelief. There was a vein in their forehead that looked ready to burst. “The Crossover isn't for another few days. You are coming home right now.”

“Why? Is it past my curfew?” Jack said sarcastically. "Seriously. What is the big deal? I'll hang out here for a while and then go back through the door in the grove. Nobody will even notice I'm here."

Jim cleared his throat. "Uh, we noticed." Jack shot him an ugly look.

Nightlight's wings started flapping even faster. "Your position as a Guardian is already on thin ice. It's in everyone's best interest, especially yours, if we cut our losses and go home. You're lucky I don't tell Kringle about this. It's two months till the Yuletide. He does not need this on this plate. I could always send Krampus to come get you. Oh! Or maybe you'd rather I get the Rabbit involved? I'm sure he'd just love coming back here again."

At the mention of "the Rabbit", Jack's cocky grin melted right off. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to have some fun. Ever since I joined the team, things have been kinda stressful. I just wanted to blow off a little steam before winter starts."

Jack pouted and gave Nightlight some truly impressive puppy dog eyes. Nightlight's icy demeanor was starting to crack. Jim couldn't believe they were buying it. They sighed. “You really want to stay at the festival?" asked Nightlight. Jack nodded pathetically. "Fine. Hold still.”

Nightlight whipped their wand around and, with a few magic words, turned Jack into a vampire just like Jim. Jack’s skin stayed pale, but his hair turned black. Nightlight made a few more flicks, lengthening and darkening Jack’s cloak. “You will not tell a soul about this," Nightlight said insistently. "Not the fat man or the fairies and definitely not the Rabbit. You hear me?”

Jack nodded with enthusiasm. "Thanks, Nightlight! You're the best!" He looked like he wanted to hug them, but at Nightlight's size, they'd be crushed.

"You have got until the stroke of midnight," Nightlight told him. "I will meet you in the graveyard and we will go back through the portal together. Whatever you do, do not let Pitch's guards see you. I could only do so much to change your face."

Jack disappeared into the crowd, leaving frosty footprints on the pavement. Nightlight took a seat on Jim's shoulder and let out another sigh of exhaustion. "Kids. The boy doesn't age. How's he ever going to be mature enough for this job?"

"What job?" Jim asked, trying to shake Nightlight off.

"Protecting children from the Nightmare King," Nightlight answered. "Pitch is constantly trying to make kids in other realms miserable and afraid. It's how he gets his power. He took over this whole kingdom just to get more monsters on his side. Our job is hardest at Halloween, but Jack would rather watch a bunch of ghosts gear up to haunt some mortals, probably scaring more kids in the process."

"Why Jack? Who picked him if he's so unqualified? Was it that Kringle guy you keep bringing up?" Jim inquired.

"No, not him. Believe me, none of the Guardians were happy with that decision," said Nightlight. "But it's been decided, so we're doing our best. They never should have sent a child to guard other children. Where are you off to now?"

Jim showed them the map. He pointed to Monsters Miscellaneous at the town hall. They had seen it about an hour ago. It shouldn't be that hard getting back.

"I was just there," said Nightlight. "Follow me."

They led them via a glittering trail of blue to the plaza where the old town hall rested. They ascended the steps to the great stone columns and entered the door. Nightlight remained outside. "I should probably stay out here. If I get caught by the wrong person, I could literally get eaten."

"Could you close the door?" said a woman behind them. It was the receptionist. She was wearing a glittering evening gown and diamond jewelry. It was certainly a look. "You're letting in a draft."

"I'll be around. Just give me a shout," Nightlight whispered as they floated away.

Jim shut the door. He and Quasi approached the front desk of the atrium. “How can I help you?” asked the woman. Her nameplate read 'Eva.' The green light dangling above her hit her and she looked just like the water in the fountain outside. She was a ghost.

Quasi didn't let that bother him. “Yes, we’re here for the Monsters Miscellaneous meeting. We’re new in town and-” 

Eva cut him off. “Second door on the right,” she said, pointing down the hall with a quill. "They just got started."

Jim and Quasi thanked her and entered the meeting hall. They found a circle of monsters sitting in folding chairs. The discussion appeared to be led by an enormous blue bugbear assisted by a tiny green cyclops. Quasi got a warm welcome from them. Jim... not so much.

“Who the hell are you?” asked the cyclops tersely. “You know, this meeting is for misfits only. The blood sucker club meets across town.” 

Jim wasn’t expecting that reaction at all. “I’m just here to support Quasi. He's a friend of mine. Benny sent us.” 

“Since when are vampires friends with guys like us?” said the cyclops. Jim looked at the crowd. They were all eyeing him suspiciously, some upwards of three eyes.

Quasi took the question. “Since we escaped our home world together,” he lied, smiling at Jim. “We just got here. The lady at the welcome center told us to come see you.” 

“Well, she told me to go see the vampires, but we didn’t want to go anywhere alone. Everything’s really new and it’s easy to get lost,” said Jim, hoping for some sympathy.

The cyclops looked to the bugbear for support. The bugbear sighed. “Just let him stay, Mike.” 

“Nope. No vampires in meetings, no matter how _new_ they are,” the cyclops insisted. “If he wants to wait around, he can go sit outside.” 

Jim got out of his seat and tried to maintain some dignity. “Fine. I’ll leave you be. Sorry to interrupt your meeting.” Quasi grabbed Jim’s sleeve. “You’ll be all right, Quasi. I’ll be outside with Nightlight if you need me.” 

Jim went outside and sat on the steps, taking in the sights. Nightlight covertly flew over to him and got big, surprising Jim. He forgot they could do that.

“How’s the spell holding up?” they asked, checking Jim’s fangs. “I’m not a tooth fairy. Dental spells aren’t exactly my thing.” 

“The Tooth Fairy's real?”

“Yeah, a real bitch,” said Nightlight, adjusting their robes. “I shouldn’t say that. She has a tough job. The tooth fairies don’t get along with our crowd very well.” 

“Why’s that?” Jim asked. 

“I'm from the Land of Sweets," explained Nightlight. "We’re the antithesis of proper dental care. Tooth and Sugarplum are constantly at each other’s throats. Kringle tries to make them get along, but it’s not his battle to fight.” 

Jim was getting extremely confused. “You’re throwing a lot of names at me. Who are these people?” 

Nightlight exhaled, like they were preparing for something. “Let me start from the top. Remember those monsters in the woods? The Knids?” 

“How could I forget?” said Jim. “We ran into another one in the Dreamlands. It nearly took my arm off.” 

“Remember how they devoured an entire settlement on the moon? One survivor?" Jim nodded. "That one kid who survived grew up to be the Man in the Moon. He appointed guardians to protect children across the realms from monsters like them.” 

“People like the Tooth Fairy,” Jim deadpanned.

“Her, Kringle, the Sandman, the Rabbit, and now... Jack fucking Frost.” 

Jim knew that name. Jack Frost was a myth. Not really a myth even, more like an abstract personification. There weren't any stories about him. He just sort of existed. He didn't even have a picture in mind of what Jack Frost should look like. An angsty teenager made as much sense as anything else.

“So, Jack has to help some guy who lives on the _moon_ protect children from the _Boogeyman," _said Jim. "All right. That’s a lot to process. Granted, for the last month, I’ve been living in a town with Snow White and Prince Charming so...” 

“Snow White? As in '_and the Seven Dwarfs?_'” Nightlight asked incredulously.

Jim scoffed. “Oh, so the fucking Tooth Fairy is real but Snow White is all made up. Sure. Makes perfect sense.” 

“Sorry. You're right,” said Nightlight. "I don't leave my realm much."

Jim shrugged. "Don't feel bad. I recently learned that I’m made up too, apparently. I bet if went through the Storybrooke Library, I'd find a book about you somewhere.”

Nightlight shook their head. "I doubt it. I'm just another fairy. Sugarplum loaned me out to the Guardians as a glorified babysitter. It's not much to write about." They stood up and shrank back down. "Listen, I'm gonna lay low for a bit. Call me when you're on your way to the next stop."

"You're gonna come with us?" Jim said hopefully.

"Why not? I've got nothing better to do," said Nightlight, less enthused.

They disappeared and Jim went back inside. If he couldn't learn anything from the monsters, maybe he could learn something from Eva at the front desk.

“So, what brings you to the Netherworld?” asked the ghost woman, busily typing on a typewriter. Ghosts seemed to be solid enough to manipulate objects, but not enough to keep from chilling Jim whenever they phased through him.

Jim thought about fleshing out his story, but he didn’t want to contradict anything Quasi had to say in the meeting. “We were run out of town. The Netherworld seemed like a good alternative for us.” 

“It sure seems that way, doesn't it?" she said glumly. 

“What are you doing here? You're a ghost, right?” asked Jim, leaning on the counter. “I thought spirits lived in the Underworld most of the time.”

"The Underworld was closed when I died. The psychopomps weren't actively searching, so I came here," Eva told him. She replaced the paper in her typewriter and reset the mechanism. "When they finally opened the gates, I had no desire to go."

Jim wasn't quite sure what she meant by that. "Why not?"

“Let's just say, if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have had my little accident.” Eva held up her arm. There was an ugly scar running from her wrist to her elbow. The same on the other arm. When Jim put two and two together, it was like a slap to the face. “I could go to the Underworld, but I don't want them seeing me like this.” 

“What's with the gown?” Jim asked, trying to steer away from the subject. "I mean, it's lovely but-"

“It’s what I died in,” said Eva. “The Netherworld doesn't have any tailors for ghosts. They say someone’s opening a boutique sometime after the festival, so maybe I’ll be able to change into something a little more sensible.”

This all made Jim extremely uncomfortable. Hearing Eva talk about the afterlife, specifically for someone in her situation, brought back awful memories of the bridge during Erik's curse. Would Jim have gotten laughed out of the Underworld? Would spending eternity barely tangible in the Netherworld be his best option? Eva wouldn't tell him more. After all, it was a very personal experience.

Twenty minutes later, the doors of the meeting room opened. The monsters came pouring out. Big ones, small ones, ones with extra eyes, ones with extra arms. The only thing they had in common was that Jim had no fucking idea what they were. Lastly, Quasimodo emerged flanked by the bugbear and the cyclops who kicked him out. Jim crossed his arms and legs and put on a sour look. 

They all gave Quasi a warm goodbye. The cyclops invited him to join them for happy hour, but Quasi was going to stay with Jim. The cyclops rolled his eye and left. “So, what did you find out?” Jim asked Quasi, who was perusing another pamphlet. 

“Everybody was so nice! “They told me about this boarding house and they said I’ve got a guaranteed job at this factory if I want it. Good benefits." Quasi got very silent as he watched the monsters descend the steps to the square. "That's why you picked me, isn't it?" Quasi said softly, sounding hurt. "Because I look like them. Because I'm... a monster."

"What? No!" Jim insisted, cursing himself. "You're not a monster, Quasi."

On the steps of the building, Quasi turned his back to Jim. "You don't have to lie to me, Jim. I know what I am. I know I'm ugly. I know I'm different. I belong with them. Or maybe I don't. Look at me! My skin's blue. My ears are all pointy. If they saw the real me, they'd just see another human. It's people who see a monster."

This is what Jim had been afraid of. He knew this was a bad idea. "Look, I know what it's like to be different, to be treated like you don't belong," Jim began. He had been going somewhere hopefully positive, but Quasi wouldn't let him finish.

"What would you know about it?" Quasi snapped at him. "You're normal! You needed a fairy to put a spell on you and you still look fine. That Nightlight person couldn't make you ugly if they tried."

Jim could see Nightlight hovering far behind Quasi and he motioned for them to stay put. "It's a different kind of ugly," said Jim. "One you can't see."

Quasi seemed receptive, so Jim continued. "You probably don't know this, but I'm gay. I like men instead of women and my world didn't like it. My boyfriend and I spent seven years meeting in shadows and hiding behind locked doors before I lost him. I didn't truly feel safe until I came to Storybrooke."

Quasi latched onto the one thing Jim hoped he would breeze past. "You had someone who loved you. That's more than I ever had. I would have killed for a single person to share my life with, even for a little while. I found one person who I thought could see past this and all I got was her pity! You have no idea what that's like."

"Looking like that wouldn't get you _killed_," said Jim, losing his patience a bit.

"And being gay wouldn't get you _locked in a bell tower for most of your life!_" Quasi fired back. Somehow they'd found themselves in a heated misery competition. "You don't wear a sign on you that tells the world that you're not normal. I can't walk down the street without getting looks from people. Erik was the only one who ever understood."

Jim was speechless. Quasimodo was right. He didn't know.

On a day to day basis, Jim's life had been fairly normal. At least it had until he stopped aging. When he was walking through town alone, he never had to fear anything. People treated him well. Jim lived with a secret, but he was well-liked in his town after his delinquent phase. He didn't like girls, but girls liked him. Girls and boys, one boy in particular. And that one boy, more beautiful than the sun itself, chose Jim.

Those times were long gone, but Jim still had the memory. Quasi had nothing. Just like Jim had been elated to feel welcomed in Storybrooke, Quasimodo was finally feeling at home among the monsters. Jim shouldn't pull him away from that, or pretend to know better.

"You're right," Jim conceded. "I don't know what it's like to be different that way. And I also should have been honest about why I asked you to come here. It wasn't my idea, but it still wasn't right. You seem really happy here and I don't want to take that away from you. I wish we had time to enjoy the festival, but our friends-"

"Your friends," Quasi corrected. "I don't know these people."

"Esmeralda-"

"Will you stop using her to get me to do what you want?" Quasi begged. "Please?"

Jim was filled with shame. He covered his face. "All right. Do you want me to do this alone? I really don't think I can. Ruby and Dorothy are off with the witches and werewolves. I don't know what I'm doing. Just having you around has been keeping me from having a full-blown panic attack. I don't want to guilt you into anything."

"But you'll push through it," said Quasi bitingly. "Fine. I'll help. God forbid something good happen to me."

"I'm sorry," said Jim, but he knew it wasn't enough. "Look, let's go visit the vampires and see what we can find out. We'll meet up with the girls after. The festival should still be running by then. I'll go back to town with Jefferson and August. I'll ask Ruby and Dorothy if they'll stay here with you until it's time to go home. Sound good?"

Quasimodo reluctantly cracked a smile. "Okay," he said. "Sounds good to me."

Jim and Quasimodo wandered the main drag for a while getting a look at all the strange vendors. Nightlight joined them, dressing himself as some sort of ifrit. Werewolves were gorging themselves on kebabs of bizarre-looking meat. Witches were selling potions and charms. One was even selling exotic teas.

"Jefferson might like this," said Jim, examining the product. It was enchanted to bring good luck. Too bad Jim didn't have the proper coinage. "God, I hope we can find him."

"Who's Jefferson again?" asked Nightlight, looking around like a paranoiac.

"My, uh..." Jim wasn't sure what to call him. "My roommate, I guess. He's letting me live at his house while I'm in Storybrooke." Jim gave Nightlight the usual rundown about the town, the Queen, and everything that brought them to this truly strange turn of events. "I never imagined I'd be dressed like a vampire, wandering the streets of the Netherworld. Life has really taken a turn for the bizarre since I came to town."

"Why did you?" asked Nightlight.

"Looking back on it, it's actually really embarrassing." Jim gave Nightlight the full story about Hook. "So here I am! I'm not sure what I'm doing next, just taking one day at a time. It's still a little surreal."

Nightlight puffed up their cheeks and exhaled. "I am really sorry to hear that. That's... That's a lot." Jim nodded in agreement.

They kept walking. Quasimodo wanted to look at everything, not so much because it held his interest, but because he rarely had been allowed to look before. While Quasi enjoyed the festival, Jim kept his eyes peeled for anything that might give them a clue. Quasi and Nightlight walked ahead to look at some trinkets. Jim was distracted by some sounds in the alley nearby.

"You look ridiculous," said a young man. "You, a vampire?"

"They wouldn't let me stay otherwise," said another. "You really think it's stupid?"

Jim hid around the side of a small tent. From his vantage point, he could see the vampire Jack Frost chatting with what appeared to be a red, horned demon roughly Jack's own age. Jack hadn't seen many demons around. Grumpy and Bashful mentioned that a demon was part of the group who abducted Jefferson. He didn't want to make assumptions, but maybe the kid knew the kidnapper?

"Eh, I'm kinda digging the fangs," said the demon, playfully nudging Jack's arm.

Jack didn't want to risk Nightlight ruining an interrogation opportunity, so he stepped forward alone. As he did, he heard the demon say to Jack, "Anyway, I'm glad you were able to make it. The festival's a fun time. I guarantee you've never seen anything like it in Christmas Town."

"I'm glad I was able to come too," said Jack. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world." That's when Jack and the demon utterly stunned Jim by leaning forward and kissing. Jim averted his eyes and hid behind a corner. He didn't know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn't that.

"You taste like sugar," said the demon, coming up for air.

"I ate some cotton candy earlier," Jack admitted. They both laughed.

Jim stepped in before anymore funny business occurred. "Excuse me!" Jack and the demon both jumped. Jack brandished his cane in an attack stance. "Whoa! Whoa! Everything's fine. Does Nightlight know about this?"

Jack remembered Jim from earlier. He lowered his cane. "No and you cannot tell them!" Jack said, panicking. "Who even are you anyway?"

"The name's Philip. I'm new in town. Nightlight promised to help me with something if I could help them find you. I could go run and get them, but I've got a question for your, uh, friend here."

The demon bristled. "Jack, who is this guy?"

"I don't fucking know. Some vampire Nightlight met," said Jack. He turned back to Jim. "I'm serious. You cannot tell them what you saw here. I'm gonna be in so much trouble."

Jim shifted his weight and chuckled. "So this is why you wanted to come to the festival? To see your boyfriend? You can be honest. I'm not going to tell them about it."

Jack scratched the back of his neck. "I mean, I don't know," he said awkwardly. Jack turned to the demon. "Are you my boyfriend?"

The demon got all flustered. "I think that's a conversation to be had in private," he replied. The demon moved past Jack to Jim. Despite his apparent young age, he was still about two inches taller. Eight inches with the horns. "I'm Charlock, Lock for short. What do you want with me?"

"Nothing! I'm just looking for a friend of mine. He's a demon," Jim lied, hoping he'd buy it. "I told him that if I was ever in the Netherworld, I'd look him up."

Charlock crossed his arms and leaned against a garbage can. "And you just assume all demons know each other? Are you best friends with Dracula?"

Jim realized why Lock might be offended by his question. "No, but I'm friendly with his clan," Jim replied. That wasn't exactly a lie. He at least had a friend in Carmilla. That might give him some clout. "I haven't seen many demons around, so I thought maybe..."

"What's his name?" Charlock sighed. Well, that put Jim in a bind. Jim didn't know any demon names. He tried to remember stories he read. "Is it Wormwood? He's done some realm-jumping in the past. Or was it Screwtape? I'm pretty sure she had a summer house in Transylvania."

"Crowley," said Jim. Something put that name into his head, maybe something he saw in a book at Jefferson's place. It was a long shot, but he just needed Charlock to buy that he was a demon. "His name is Crowley."

Charlock curled his lip. "That asshole? Figures. I think he's got a place over in Brimstone Park, but don't quote me on that."

"Yeah, he's a tough guy to love," said Jim, rolling with Charlock's low opinion of whoever Crowley was. "I'll check around there." Jim made a less than graceful segue. "So, this whole festival is pretty crazy, right? I've never seen so many ghosts in my life."

Charlock stared at him irritably. Clearly, Jim was intruding on his special moment with Jack. Oh, well. He had questions that needed answers. Jack could continue betraying Nightlight's trust later.

"So, there are ghosts here and witches. What happens when a regular human rolls into town?" Jim asked. "I only ask because humans ran us out of our last world and I'm worried they might still find us. Jack, you're not from around here, right?"

"I'm not human, not anymore," said Jack, hands in his pockets.

"You're not supposed to be here though," Jim said. "What would happen if you weren't in disguise?"

Jack and Charlock silently debated the pros and cons of confiding in Jim. Charlock sighed and just told him. "The Nightmare King sends in the Sackmen. They bring them to the castle. They wipe their memory and send them back where they came from. Nobody gets hurt, but we can't let normies stay in the city. It's too much of a risk."

Jim nodded, acting like it was merely intriguing and not extremely vital information. He prayed to God that the worst thing happening to Jefferson was a memory wipe. He had feared that his investigation would lead him to Nightmare Castle and now dread was rising up in his gut.

"That's really interesting. I was actually hoping to see the castle. Is it open to tourists?"

"Can you leave please?" said Charlock, gritting his teeth. "We were kind of having a moment."

Jim wasn't going to press his luck. He thanked them, apologized, and bowed out gracefully. Jim hurried back down the alley, but Jack caught up with him. He didn't respond to "Philip", so Jack hooked him with his cane to get his attention.

"Hey! You swear you won't tell Nightlight?" asked Jack urgently. His eyes were big, petrified that Jim might let it slip. Jim knew that look too well. He saw that in Hook's young eyes and often in his own reflection.

"I promise."

Jim didn't like Charlock much, but Jack did. They were just a couple of kids trapped on opposite sides of some kind of war. They might just be two hormonal teenagers rebelling by kissing the enemy, but Jim couldn't help but see them through the lens of two crazy kids in love. He left them in peace and found Nightlight and Quasimodo winning at some carnival game. Jim hated to drag him away, but at least Quasi had quite a prize - an enormous plush Zoog.

It was time for them to meet the vampires. Jim checked his map again and the three of them set off. It wasn't long before they came upon an enormous gothic mansion sitting on the edge of the park. The sign outside indicated that this was the place: Lioncourt Manor. They nervously approached the door. The doorman opened it for Jim but not for Quasi or Nightlight.

“They're with me,” said Jim. "We're all new in town." He smiled, proudly showing off his fangs.

“Vampires only," said the doorman, baring his fangs as well.

Jim stepped away and huddled with Quasi and Nightlight under a street lamp. "I guess I'm gonna have to do this part myself," said Jim, looking back at the mansion. "Will you both be all right without me for a bit?"

“We'll be fine, Jim," said Quasi undaunted. "We'll just walk around the festival a bit more. Come and find us when you’re done.” 

Jim gave him a nod. Nightlight leaned in and whispered, "Are you sure you know what you're getting into?"

Jim stepped back and serenely said, "Absolutely not." He turned around, heart pounding in his chest, and presented his papers to the doorman. The vampire glanced at the paperwork Juno had given him and opened the door wide. "Welcome to the Blueblood Society." Jim held his head high and walked into the viper's den alone.

Once inside Lioncourt Manor, Jim was directed to a room filled to the brim with pale people in black suits and gowns. Many of them were holding stemmed glasses filled with a liquid too red to be wine. All of them – at least the younger ones in the bunch – had an ethereal beauty that Jim immediately recognized as vampiric. 

Jim caught the attention of two young men and a woman loitering in the corner, away from the elders. One man wet his lips as he looked Jim up and down. Jim knew that look. He'd seen it a million times in bars, usually without any vampires or women. If Jim went off with him, he didn’t know if it would end with the man nibbling on his ear or plunging his fangs into his neck. He raised his eyebrows suggestively and bit his lip, showing fang. That elicited a smile from the man. The woman, on the other hand, pouted and huffed.

Jim walked slowly toward the buffet, hoping the man would take the bait. If seduction would be his path to answers, so be it. He was also starving again. He wondered what the Netherworld elites ate. Jim nearly vomited when he saw that the punch bowl was brimming with blood. 

“Pardon me,” said the handsome vampire, not noticing Jim's disgust. “I don’t believe I’ve seen you here before. Are you new?” 

“I’m here with a free trial pass,” said Jim, keeping his cool. “I just got into town. They told me all the best people come here. I’m beginning to think they were right.” Jim thought he was being very smooth. “What’s your name?” 

“My friends call my Eddie,” said the vampire. He took Jim’s hand and kissed it. Jim shivered, mainly from his cold lips. “And you are?” 

“That’s awfully forward of you,” said Jim, taking back his hand. “Not that I mind. I’m Philip Cassell of Porthaven.” 

Eddie cocked his head to the side curiously. “Porthaven. I don’t believe I’ve heard of such a place.” 

“We must be from different realms. I hail from a place called Ingary. Are you native to the Netherworld?” asked Jim. He fixed himself a small plate of charcuterie and fruit. They appeared to be blood-free.

“No, my family and I came here from California,” said Eddie. "My parents, my grandfather, and me."

Jim pretended to be fascinated and tried not to stare too deeply into Eddie's eyes. They were gold. He hadn't seen a vampire with gold eyes. He had, however, seen Ruby's eyes turn golden in the light of the full moon. Was this guy a werewolf too? He had a classic vampire widow's peak, but he was also remarkably hairy compared to the others. Jim loved a guy with a beard. This night could have turned into something beautiful if Jim didn't have business to attend to.

"Can I offer you a drink?" asked Eddie, giving Jim his most charming smile.

It was awfully tempting. Jim never said no to a drink from a handsome stranger before. He followed Eddie back over to the buffet of refreshments, completely forgetting that among the array of hors d'oeurves, the main beverage was blood. When he caught sight of the punch bowl again, Jim's head reared back. Eddie fixed him a blood cocktail, complete with a celery stick garnish.

"You know," said Jim, taking the glass. "I actually fed in the woods on the way into town."

"You don't have to scrounge for rats to drink here," said Eddie, getting himself a glass of his own. "This is pure imported pasture ox."

Well, at least it wasn't human blood. "You don't feed on people here?"

Eddie chuckled. "There aren't any humans in the Netherworld. Except for the witches, but the vampires have an agreement with them." He took a sip then leaned in close to Jim. Jim could smell the blood on his breath. "Between you and me, I've heard tell that we'll be getting a human supply soon. The Nightmare King has something planned for us."

That sounded ominous. Jim could tell Eddie was waiting for him to have a drink of blood. He looked hesitantly at the glass. If he refused, he could blow his cover. Maybe just a little bit? Jim didn't think he could do it. All of a sudden, he was saved by someone appearing on his left.

"Oh, hello! What are you doing here?" said a woman with a friendly tone. Jim looked. It was Carmilla, staring daggers at him through her smile. "I haven't see you in ages!" Jim took a second to figure out what she was doing. She was giving him an out.

"Carmilla!" said Jim with fake joy and genuine relief. They hugged like old friends.

Eddie was briefly distracted by his family calling from across the hall. Jim quickly poured his glass into a potted plant while Eddie wasn't looking. "I'm sorry," said Eddie. "I'm afraid I'll have to step away for a moment. I hope you won't leave."

"I wouldn't dream of it," said Jim, still attempting to be suave.

Once he was gone, Carmilla grabbed Jim's wrist. He nearly yelped and dropped his glass. "Jim!" Carmilla whispered like a hiss. "What are you doing here? Why do you look like a vampire?"

Jim shushed her, which she did not take kindly to. "I'm undercover, all right? Jefferson and August got kidnapped and we're trying to find them. They don't like humans here, so I had to find a disguise."

"It's very convincing," Carmilla commented, noting his fangs and unusual paleness.

Jim checked his hands. Still white as a ghost. "I know, right? Nightlight did it for me. Listen, if anybody asks, I'm Philip Cassell from Porthaven. I was a wealthy aristocrat until I was turned and disowned by my family."

"Who turned you?" Carmilla asked pointedly.

"Does it matter?"

_"Does it matter?"_ Carmilla repeated back to him. "It absolutely matters! The chain of turning is a vampire's pedigree. It's our family tree. You may as well not know who your own mother was."

Jim rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll come up with something. What are you doing here?"

"If you must know, I came here looking for the First Ones. I'm trying to arrange a meeting with Count Orlok. Hopefully, he might have information for me," Carmilla explained. She poured herself some blood from the punch bowl. She took a sip. Jim crinkled up his nose. "You picked a bad disguise. If you don't want to drink blood, you should have been an ifrit or something."

"If you had been around," Jim countered, "I wouldn't have needed to play dress up as Dracula. Ruby's the only one I've got who belongs here. Dorothy's off pretending to be a witch and Quasimodo's so ugly the monsters assume he's one of them."

Carmilla looked mildly shocked by Jim's bluntness. "Don't tell him I said that," Jim continued. "He's more sensitive about it than I thought. On the other hand, is every vampire this unnaturally pretty? It's creepy."

Carmilla finished her blood. "We are when we're well-fed," she said, almost proud of the fact.

"Yeah, you looked pretty wrecked when we first dug you out of the ground," Jim recalled. "No offense."

"I wouldn't know," Carmilla said. "Vampires don't have reflections."

"Then why is their hair all so perfect?" Jim groaned, looking back at Eddie who sent him a wink. "I assumed the reason the De Villes were all so _alluring _was because Dracula had a discerning taste in partners. What is their relationship exactly? Are they siblings? Cousins? Lovers? All three? I can't tell and it's creeping me out."

Carmilla laughed out loud, which Jim had never seen her do. "The De Villes aren't related," she said, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. "They were all madly in love with the Count, but never with each other. They were devoted followers, so they all took his alias upon his death."

"Well, that's a relief. If they're not related and De Ville is a fake name, how does Cruella factor into this?" asked Jim.

"I'm not sure," said Carmilla. "I believe the name came from one of Dracula's mentors. Someone in their clan had some kind of indiscretion with a mortal. Speaking of relations with mortals, why were you flirting with the _nouveau sang _over there?" Carmilla pointed at Eddie who was still making eyes at Jim.

Jim shot him another smile. It had been a while since he'd gotten any sincere attention from a guy, even if it was an undead guy. Then he remembered how Betelgeuse had been able to smell the human on him. If a poltergeist could smell it, Jim had to be a walking rotisserie chicken to all the vampires in the room. He probably smelled like food to Eddie and the handsome devil hadn't realized it.

"I'm sorry, what?" asked Jim, turning back to Carmilla.

"Were you really looking for a date or did you think the new blood could actually help find your friends?" said Carmilla, cocking an eyebrow. "I thought you liked that one you came to save. He's very handsome, you know, _for a man._"

"Jefferson? No, no way. And I'm not seriously into Eddie. I just want information," Jim said. "What do you mean 'new blood?' You're new here too."

Carmilla took another drink and wiped her mouth. "New to a clan, I mean. Look at how you're both dressed." She gestured to Eddie's leather jacket, his khakis, and button shirt. The other vampires were dressed in proper suits and dresses, even the younger ones. Then there was Jim, still wearing David's business casual plus his pirate hunting coat. "You're calling yourself an aristocrat? Nouveau sang _and_ nouveau riche."

Jim scoffed. "What? I'm gutter trash because I'm not squeezed into a corset like the fucking Evil Queen?"

"What a picture." Carmilla gasped suddenly. "Hold that thought. You should go. Wait for me outside behind the building."

Carmilla left. Jim spun around to see what had startled her. It was far too late for Jim to escape. To exit, he'd have to walk directly into the path of the Queen. She had entered the hall and wasted no time drawing attention to herself.

_"Speak of the devil," _thought Jim. _"What is she doing here?" _

Maybe if he just stayed by the food and stared at the wall he'd be safe. He grabbed his hors d'oeurve tray and pretended to have a difficult time choosing what to eat. Unfortunately, Eddie decided Carmilla's departure was the perfect time to rejoin Jim for some more less-than-subtle flirting.

"Was that a friend of yours?" Eddie asked, topping off his glass of blood.

Jim coughed on some cracker he was trying to swallow. "Uh, yes. That's Carmilla. She and I go way back," Jim lied. He rapidly tried to construct a new backstory integrating her into the plot. "She found me not long after I was turned. She gave me some pointers about the whole vampire thing."

Eddie laughed. "_The vampire thing_. You're terribly funny," he said. "You should meet my grandfather. He goes way back with Count Orlok. He can probably put in a good word for you if you make a good impression. And you make a very good impression."

Eddie put his arm around Jim's shoulders and led him toward a cluster of older vampires, right past Carmilla and the Queen. He must have entranced him, because Jim let himself get swept away without a moment's hesitation.

"Jim?" said the Queen, breaking Jim out of his fugue. "What a pleasant surprise."

Eddie was confused. He let Jim go. "Jim? You said your name was Philip."

Jim forced a laugh. "It is. I think she must have mistaken me for someone else."

"She's here with your friend," Eddie observed. Carmilla covered her face in embarrassment. At least she tried to help.

The Queen strutted through the crowd right to where Jim stood. Eddie took several steps back. "Well, well, well... Jim, you're looking awfully pale. You haven't gone without sun that long, have you? I know time just flies by here." The Queen grabbed his face and pulled up his lip. "New dental work too. Nice."

"Excuse me," said a decrepit old man. Jim presumed this was Count Orlok. He was flanked by the elder Bluebloods, all peering curiously at them. "Is something the matter?"

"I should say so," the Queen told him. "You've got an imposter in your midst. This here is a human."

They all gasped, even Carmilla, though her gasp was clearly fake. Count Orlok got up in Jim's face. Jim showed him his fangs. "Are you sure? If so, it's an elaborate ruse."

"Only one way to find out," said the Queen. She walked over to the punch bowl and poured Jim a glass of blood. "Here, Jim. Why don't you have a drink? You must be thirsty after your long walk from Storybrooke."

Jim breathed heavily. He was trapped. He could either drink the blood the Queen gave him - and have that memory etched into his brain forever - or expose himself as human to a crowd of vampires subsisting on oxen. Maybe he could handle just one sip.

Bravely, Jim took the glass from the Queen, who smugly stood back and watched. Jim put the cup of ox blood up to his lips and tilted it back. Instantly, he tasted copper. It was revolting. It took all his will not to retch. He let the blood sit on his tongue, trying to find the will to swallow. He couldn't. He looked at the Queen, smiling in her victory. He spat the blood all over her face.

The Queen didn't flinch. She wiped a drop of blood from her cheek and sucked it off her pinky finger. "You're weak," she said cruelly. To Count Orlok and the other vampires, the Queen said, "I'd love to stay for dinner but we have other business to attend to. It was nice knowing you, Jim. Let's go, Countess."

The Queen turned to leave. Carmilla was torn between them. Jim hoped Carmilla would save him, but she was swept up by the De Villes who had been mingling just out of sight. They stopped and sneered at Jim. Vasilica gave him a brief look of pity. Verona and Marishka just looked disappointed that they wouldn't get to eat him themselves. Jim looked at Eddie. He was licking his lips again and not in a sexy way.

"What about her?" said Jim, pointing at the Queen. "She's human too!"

The Queen laughed. "I'm a witch, dear. We have an understanding."

The vampires started closing in. "Wait!" said Count Orlok, just as Eddie was about to take a bite. "We have rules here. All humans are to be taken directly to the castle. The Nightmare King has promised us blood, but that promise can be taken away if we don't obey his laws."

This was met with jeers. "He's no better than the old king!" one vampire shouted.

"Maybe so!" Orlok returned. "But do you really want to sacrifice an endless stream of fresh blood for this one substandard specimen? We turn him over now, we'll be rewarded later."

"Hey!" said Jim indignantly. He shut up when he realized Orlok was unintentionally saving his life. The other vampires agreed that refilling the punch bowl with just over a gallon of Jim Hawkins didn't compare to whatever the Nightmare King had promised.

Jim looked to Carmilla, but it was out of her hands. "I'm sorry," Carmilla mouthed as the Queen and the De Villes took her away from the premises. Carmilla sold Jim out. She sold out all of Storybrooke, helping the Queen with her plan. Jim would have been furious if he wasn't so terrified.

"Summon the Sackmen!" Orlok commanded his men. Two very tall vampire guards seized Jim and dragged him outside the manor. They held him outside by the road until the Sackmen pulled up in a buggy drawn by more of those wispy Nightmares.

"Jim!" called Quasimodo in the distance. Nobody noticed but Jim, who held his fingers against his lips. Be quiet. Trust me. Quasimodo nodded in understanding and crouched down out of sight. Jim prayed that Quasi would be all right without him, and vice versa. Provided Charlock's information was right, Jim was going to be taken by the Sackmen directly to Jefferson. Provided Jefferson was still alive.

In no time at all, Jim was facing an enormous burlap sack in the rough shape of a man. He was confused until the monster unzipped its giant mouth and Jim was thrown right in by the Nightmare King's guards. There was an audible squish, followed by a crunch, followed by a host of other unpleasant sounds as the mouth zipped back shut. The Sackman began waddling away from the mansion into the buggy. Jim heard the vampires mocking him as they drove away.

Jim felt something crawling up the side of his face. The Sackman's pitch-black insides were filled with bugs. Jim screamed for dear life.


	6. The Hall of the Nightmare King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim is thrown into the Nightmare King's dungeons along with Nightlight. They easily rescue August, but saving Jefferson from the Jabberwock proves a challenge.

After an unpleasant eternity trapped in the Sackman's bowels, the bag unzipped and belched Jim out onto the floor of some strange new place. Jim picked a millipede off his forehead and shuddered. Jefferson had better thank him for this. He looked up and saw a tall man looming over him from a throne. Logic dictated it could only be one person: the Nightmare King. Jim forgot all about the bugs. This was so much worse.

"We found this human trying to pass himself off as a vampire," said a woman. Jim turned and looked. It was the Queen again. "We thought you'd want to know about it."

The Nightmare King shifted his gaze from Jim to the Queen. "You'd turn over one of your own subjects?" he asked. His voice was snide and frigid, even a bit nasal.

"Consider it a peace offering. Right, Countess?" The Queen turned to Carmilla, who was standing beside her with all the presence of a wilting vase of flowers.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

That stung. Jim thought he and Carmilla might be friends. Oh well. Jim was never great at holding onto friends anyway. Fuck her.

"Who are you?" asked the Nightmare King, staring down at Jim with menace. "What is a human like you doing in the Netherworld?"

"I'll tell you who he is," said the Queen. "This is Jim Hawkins, one of my kingdom's more recent acquisitions. He's proven himself to be quite the pest. Whatever he's doing here-"

Carmilla stepped forward. "I know what he's doing here," she said, interrupting. "The people of Storybrooke have been complaining about drought and starvation ever since we came to the Dark Realm. They've been sending out scouts to look for food and water. As far as I know, they've all been unsuccessful."

Jim sent her a covert friendly look. Carmilla hadn't abandoned him, not completely. She was still giving him the chance to save Jefferson unhindered. That wasn't nothing. He would have thanked her, but that would give the game away.

The Nightmare King leaned forward in his chair. Even seated, he was towering over Jim. His sunken eyes were like burning coals and his dark hair fell around him like an oil spill. He had a crooked nose and sallow skin. Within the slightest tilt of his head, his combined features shifted between charmingly offbeat and hideous.

"Is that why you're here?" asked the Nightmare King languidly, narrowing his eyes.

Jim really hadn't thought of an explanation for his presence, but it was the best one he had. Jim lied down at his feet and groveled. "Yes, Your Majesty. If we don't get some food soon, we're all going to starve. We have no power. We're almost out of water. I know what an imposition this is, but if there's anything you can spare, anything at all..." Jim coughed to make himself sound weak and pathetic.

The Queen didn't appear to be buying it, but the Nightmare King didn't care either way. "So you're just giving him to me?" he asked the Queen.

"Actually, if you hang onto him for me, I'd consider it a favor," said the Queen. "Jim's more trouble than he's worth."

The Nightmare King didn't hesitate to take her little gift. "Take him to the dungeons. He'll be good fodder for the Doctor's next experiment," he said to a woman on his right. Jim swore she had appeared out of thin air. The woman smiled widely, too eager for Jim's comfort.

"Experiment?" asked Jim, achieving new levels of fright.

"While we're on that subject," the King continued, "I assume you wouldn't want us tinkering around with the other prisoners we're holding for you."

"As long as they're still fit to work, you can do whatever you like," said the Queen with a nasty smile. "Thank you so much for your assistance, Your Darkness. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful alliance between our kingdoms. Jim is right though. Where can a girl get her subjects a bite to eat around here? You can't properly terrorize them if they starve."

The man on the throne huffed. "I'll have one of our trade ministers see to that," said the Nightmare King, waving them away. "You're dismissed."

The guards ushered Jim past Carmilla and the Queen. Jim shot her another look as he passed, trying to read Carmilla's face. She turned away in shame. She saved his mission, but she still let the Queen hand him over. Jim wished he knew what she was thinking.

The woman in charge led the two guards holding Jim down a long, dark hallway and some winding stairs that spiraled endlessly into the earth. Jim felt like he was being dragged off into the bowels of hell. Not even the Cavern of Flame was this foreboding.

They halted in front of a tall wooden door. The woman unbolted the latch and dragged Jim through by his coat. She brought Jim before a revolting creature sitting behind a desk. He, she, they, or it looked like an overgrown banana slug stuffed into a cardigan sweater. The effect was almost comical.

“Hello, lieutenant,” the creature droned, eyeing Jim with their beady eyes. “Who do we have here? A vampire? What's his crime?” The monster was surprised to see a vampire being manhandled in a way that was so common.

“Not a vampire. Just another human,” said the woman, stroking Jim’s hair. “I admit his disguise was convincing. He says he came looking for food, but I have my doubts. More likely, he came to find his friends. Well, he found them. There's a good chance there's more of them running around out there, so I want you to station a Sackman at every guard post, just in case."

The slug monster made a note of that. They leaned over their desk to sniff Jim's skin. “You know, I haven't tasted human in years.” They stretched their mouth into a grotesque approximation of a grin filled with needle-like teeth.

The woman grinned unpleasantly too. “There's a whole town of them that appeared beyond the forest, but we’re not to touch them for now. The King is currently in talks with their queen. However, she’s made it clear she doesn’t care much for this one, so we don’t need to worry about sending him back in one piece.”

The slug was delighted. “And what does she hope to get out of him? The Nightmare King doesn’t like making bargains.”

“Merely information and a little aid,” said the woman, drumming her unmanicured fingers on Jim’s shoulder. “She’s proposing an alliance. She seems to like the idea of us tormenting her citizens. We get to siphon away all of their fear. All she wants in return is the Black Fairy.”

The slug’s face contorted with an emotion Jim couldn't parse, even uglier than it was at rest. “What does she want with her?” It sounded almost afraid. Jim had met fairies. Even the perpetually grumpy Nightlight wasn't that scary.

“Not sure,” said the woman, not nearly as perturbed. “But it’s going to be delightful finding out. The coven is already celebrating her return.”

The guards hauled Jim away to a tiny cell. They tossed Jim roughly into his new abode, flinging him to the floor. The woman in charge slammed the bars shut. It was a medieval prison, but it did the job.

She looked down at Jim quizzically. "Odd. You're not afraid of being trapped in there." The woman opened the door and found a lockpick in the lining of Jim's coat. She snatched it and shut the door again. "There's the fear I was looking for. I'll be back for you later, but first I need to see to your friends."

Jim lifted himself onto the bench that would serve as his bed. He looked around the room. It was nothing but iron and stone, lit only by torch light. Jim heard rats, but he didn't see them. He shuddered. There was a beetle from the Sackman climbing up his neck. If this was the Netherworld, Jim couldn't fathom the "Bad Place" that Auntie Em described. He wouldn't even wish it on his father.

There was a squirming in Jim's outer pocket. He thought it was another bug, so he smacked it. "Ow!" was the response. "Watch it!" Out of his pocket crawled Nightlight, massaging their reddening nose.

"Nightlight?" Jim asked. "What are you doing here? How did you get in my pocket?"

Nightlight wiggled their nose. "Your hunchback friend sent me over before the Sackman swallowed you up. He said he'd squeal on me and Jack if I didn't help you, which is frankly extortion. I just spent an hour being picked apart by bugs, so I hope you're grateful."

Jim picked Nightlight up by their torso, being careful with their delicate wings. "You don't know how glad I am to see you."

"Hello? Is someone there?" asked a man further down the row of cells. It sounded familiar. "Jefferson? Are you all right?"

Jim dropped Nightlight like a hot rock and ran to the bars. "August?" He had to crane his neck, but he could see August's head peeking out of his cell window. He waved through the bars. "You're alive! Thank God. Where's Jefferson?"

“I don’t know,” August replied. “Right before you got here, those big burlap monstrosities took him and hauled him off somewhere, somewhere bad. I think the guards called it the Extraction Chamber.” 

That definitely sounded bad. Jim inferred it was where they were conducting the "experiments." Jefferson was facing imminent physical danger and Jim was stuck behind bars. “Nightlight, can you magic us out of here?” Jim asked as Nightlight picked themself off the floor.

“Sure, but I don’t know where we’re gonna find your friend.” 

“I know where he is,” said a low, drawling voice from a nearby cell. They all turned to listen. He wheezed, sounding sick. “If your friend’s been taken to the chamber, then he's in for a world of hurt.” 

Jim took a sharp breath in. He searched for the source of the voice. “Where is he? What are they doing to him?” Out of the shadows, a tall, dark, emaciated man stepped up to the bars. He had rings around his eyes like he hadn’t slept in weeks. “Who are you? Please, you’ve gotta help us.” 

The man tipped up his hat. “I don’t gotta do anything. They call me Facilier. And who might y’all be?” 

Jim introduced himself, then August. He didn’t mention Nightlight. He didn’t want the man to know they had a fairy with them. 

“So how did y’all find yourselves on the other side?” asked Facilier. He smiled. His teeth were repulsively yellow. One of them was definitely gold.

The story was so long and complicated. Jim decided it would be simpler just to lie. “We were banished here with magic. We’re trying to get back home.” 

“Ain’t that a coincidence?” said Facilier coolly. “So, what's your plan? It better include a way out of this shithole.” 

Jim looked around for any listening ears. He leaned forward and whispered, “We were gonna make a portal, but our portal guy just got taken to the chamber.” 

Facilier hummed, thinking. His tongue scraped his lower gums. “Tell you what, I’ll tell you where you can find your friend if you bust me out of this joint. If you’re going back to the mortal world, I wanna come with.” 

Jim thought it over. There was something about the guy he didn’t trust, something about his eyes. Still, he didn't have much of a choice. Jim felt kind of sorry for him. Prison life clearly had not been kind. 

“All right,” Jim said at last. “We'll let you out. Where is he?” 

Facilier pointed a long, bony finger down the hall to his right. “They took him down that hall over there. You take a right, then two lefts. It’s behind a metal door. You need the code to get in.” 

“Let me worry about that. What’s in there?” asked Jim.

Facilier shuddered. “It’s a dark place. They've got horrible things in there, your worst nightmares come to life. Spend too much time in that room and you could lose your goddamn mind.” 

That meant only bad things for Jefferson’s precarious mental health. Being in that room could trigger another episode. They needed Jefferson functional to make that portal. Even more important to Jim, he couldn’t bear seeing him in that state again. 

Jim turned back to August and Nightlight. “We need to go. Nightlight, you’re on.” 

To Facilier’s amazement, Nightlight floated between the bars and cast a spell unlocking each of their cells. The four of them scrambled down the hallway, pausing when Facilier took a sharp turn up the stairs. 

“Where are you going?” asked August. “You said he was this way.” 

“I said I’d tell you where he is,” said Facilier. “I never said I'd help you get him out. You can spring your friend your own damn selves.” 

August was about to charge up the stairs and give Facilier a piece of his mind. "Why, you no-good piece of-!" Someone hit August with a blast of electricity that sent him to the floor. Facilier quietly slipped away while they were all distracted.

Jim turned to see a witch cackling. “Works every time,” said the witch, only a teenager. She was flanked by a boy with skull-like facial tattoos and a familiar demon. Charlock. Jim barely had time to assess the situation when the witch sent a bolt of lightning flying at him too. Jim convulsed and hit the floor.

Lost in a daze, Jim couldn't resist as Charlock and the other boy bound his hands and feet. They did the same to August. Nightlight luckily managed to hide in the rafters. When Jim came to his senses, he and August were piled in the corner of what appeared to be a storeroom.

He tried not to panic. The three kids were still hovering around chatting, acting very smug that they managed to subdue two full-grown men. Jim just had to wait until Nightlight could spring them. Till then, he'd listen to the kids talk. Maybe he’d learn something. 

“So, Lock, how’s your little boyfriend doing?” asked the witch. “Didn’t you invite him to the festival this year?” 

Charlock bit through a green apple. Through his chewing, he said, “Yeah, he’s here in town today. I should probably get back to him.” 

“How has he not gotten caught? There are guards everywhere,” asked Barrell, who was sitting closest to Jim. 

“He’s pretending to be a vampire. Can you believe it?” said Lock, chuckling. “He got his little fairy friend to make him a disguise. Not like it was hard. The guy’s already whiter than sour cream.”

The witch electrified a dead frog on a tray, making it dance. "Do the guards know about the mission? What happens if he gets caught?"

Charlock shook his head. "No one knows but the King and us. It's strictly a need-to-know basis. And Jack's a Guardian. He's not getting caught by a bunch of entry-level grunts. He's dumb but he's not stupid."

Jim didn’t know which was worse – that Jack’s boyfriend had been deceiving him this whole time or that Nightlight was probably above them listening to it all. Jim would have to go back on his promise not to tell them, for Jack’s sake. 

“Learn anything good?” asked the witch. 

“Yeah, he’s been giving me everything,” said Lock gleefully. “It’s been so easy. All I had to do was turn on the charm. It’s so pathetic, it’s almost sad. Almost.” 

“Did you get to make out with him at all?” asked the witch. 

The demon grinned. “That’s the cherry on top. He’s really into this whole star-crossed lovers thing. It’s a good thing he’s cute. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have taken the job.” 

Jim had heard enough. “How could you?” Jim shouted at Charlock. “Jack trusts you. You can't just play with someone’s feelings like that! You’re a fucking monster.” 

Lock, unmoved, stalked over to him and snickered in his face. “You're right. I am a fucking monster. And what’s a normie like you gonna do about it?” He turned to the witch. “Hey, Shock, I think he needs another good zap.”

"I told you to stop calling me that." Shock stood up only to stagger into a cabinet. “What the hell?” 

Lock started to get dizzy too. He bared his long red claws to Jim. “What’s going on? What did you do?”

“Nothing! I didn’t do anything!” said Jim, avoiding the blades that sprang from his fingertips.

Lock was about to take a swipe at Jim when he toppled over onto the hard, stone floor. The tip of his right horn chipped off when he touched down. Millie did a full face plant. That was going to hurt when she woke up. Barrell turned around in his seat, still wide awake. 

Jim was ready to beg for mercy when Barrell started undoing his restraints. “It’s all right. I put Frog’s Breath in their food. They’ll be out for a few hours.” 

“What’s going on?” Jim was confused, but not quite as confused as Nightlight who descended from the ceiling to their side. August was beginning to stir finally. Shock's lightning spell had hit him harder than Jim.

“We’ve gotta get you out of here," said Barrell. "I know where they're keeping your friend. He’s still got time before they start the next round of experiments. I'll take you to him, but first we’ve got to stop at the Memory Lab. It's important.” 

Barrell led them down another hallway and into a darkened room. Jim had to keep August from bumping into things along the way. He was still a bit drowsy. When the door was shut, Barrell quickly locked it and fumbled around for a light. 

“Hello?” said a woman’s quiet voice in the corner. She was sitting alone in the dark. 

“Uh, hello?” said Jim hesitantly. 

Barrell lit a lantern and filled the room with a dim glow. Jim could see the woman now. She was seated on a stool next to a reclining chair. Under her medical smock, she wore a dress that looked like a patchwork quilt. Her skin was also stitched together, very much like Adam’s. Her long red hair had an unnaturally perfect quality, almost like a wig. 

“Barrell, who are they?” asked the strange woman. Jim sensed that she was more afraid of them than he was of her. Granted, she wasn’t much to be afraid of. 

“It’s all right. They’re friends,” said Barrell, placing the light in the center of the room. “Sally, this is Jim, August, and Nightlight.” 

She gasped and sprang up from her seat. “You’re humans,” Sally said, astonished. “You don’t look like witches. Is that a fairy? Good heavens! What are you all doing in the Netherworld?” 

“They were captured,” said Barrell. 

“By you,” August added, looking at Barrell unkindly. 

Barrell left his comment unaddressed. “One of them was taken to the Extraction Chamber. I drugged Lock and Shock, but the guards are still on patrol. We need to lay low until the changing of the guard.” 

“Well, make yourselves at home,” said Sally, gesturing to the sparsely furnished room. "What's mine is yours."

August anxiously looked around before finding a seat on a low-lying cabinet. Jim did the same. Nightlight perched themself on a bookshelf. They all tried to follow the path of all the tubes and wires, attempting to make sense of it.

“What is all this?” asked August, checking out a cross-section of the human brain.

Barrell sat himself down in the reclining chair. “This is the Memory Lab. It’s where they used to take normies to adjust their memories before they sent them back home. They don’t send people back anymore. They keep them for experimentation."

"You keep talking about experiments," said Jim. "What do they actually do? What's happening to Jefferson in there? That Facilier guy didn't tell us much, but it sounds horrible."

"They don't open people up and play around with their insides if that's what you're worried about," said Barrell. "I don't really know what they do. There's a lot of screaming, but they always come out in one piece."

Jim took a tiny bit of comfort knowing Jefferson wasn't in any physical danger. Still, whatever mind games the Nightmare King's goons were playing had the potential to be even more damaging. Jim couldn't let that happen.

“So what are you doing here then?” August asked Sally. "Why were you sitting in the dark?"

“I'm waiting for my father to get back,” said Sally. “He’s the one running the experiments. He won't tell me what he's doing, other than it's a direct order from the Nightmare King. Getting your friend out of there won't be easy.” 

Jim leaned against the bookcase where Nightlight was sitting, nearly squashing them. After a reprimanding from Nightlight, Jim said, “You’re not going to stop us? Fair warning, if I have to hurt your dad to save Jefferson, I’m gonna.” 

“My father’s up to something evil," Sally continued. "He was the first person to fall in line with the Nightmare King. Now he’s working on some top secret project with that _thing!_ Barrell, you know who I mean.” 

Barrell shivered. “The fear reader. Listen, Sally. I’ve got great news,” said Barrell, motioning for her to come closer. “I think we finally found the Pumpkin King. He's somewhere out in the woods, although it might be worse than we thought.” 

Sally covered her mouth with her hands. “What do you mean?” 

“I'm not sure. If it's what we think, Pitch really did a number on him. We might be able to fix him though,” said Barrell. “Do you still have that jar?”

Sally nodded and located a jar hidden in a secret compartment. Jim couldn’t see inside it, but it smelled putrid when she opened the lid. As Sally passed it to Barrell, they could hear footsteps outside. The guard was changing. Soon, they'd have their window of opportunity. Barrell pocketed the jar and led them to the opposite door.

"Now's our chance. If we get separated, use this Frog’s Breath to knock out the guards." Barrell passed a little bottle to Jim. It looked like smelling salts. "It’ll work on the doctor too, but not on her.” Barrell cautiously opened the door a crack. The halls were clear.

“Let me have it,” Nightlight whispered to Jim. "It's basically chloroform. I'll find the doctor and hold it under his nose."

Barrell ushered Jim, August, and Nightlight out of the Memory Lab and through the dungeon to an unmarked steel door. Nightlight held the container of Frog's Breath like a football in their arms. The door's handle was barred by a combination lock. This was it. The Extraction Chamber. Barrell took a breath and input the numbers.

_"Hold tight, Jeff,"_ Jim thought. _"Help is on the way."_

Barrell quietly opened the door and let them inside. There was no window to see into the hall, so Jim had to trust that Barrell was keeping watch for them. He shut the door behind them, leaving Jim, August, and Nightlight to their own devices.

They all crouched down and hid in the shadows of the dimly lit room. As they crept toward the main chamber, all they could see was Jefferson sitting beneath a shaft of light. He had been strapped to a chair. His eyes were held open by strange implements and some kind of mask was resting on his chest. It was connected to a tube that disappeared into the dark. He seemed to be alone. Jim was about to spring him loose, but August held him back. They heard a voice. 

“Is it ready yet?” said a woman. Jim couldn’t see her. She was somewhere across the room. She was beginning to grow restless over something.

An elderly man’s voice answered, “We’re nearly there. Settle down.” 

“Don’t tell me to settle down!” she snapped. “We have no time left to lose. Our first batch of oysters are coming soon. The extractor has to be up and running before they’re here.” 

_"Oysters?"_ Jefferson echoed Jim’s thoughts aloud, with a twinge of familiarity. Nightlight flew off into the rafters while August sneaked over to the right, leaving Jim to take the left flank on his own.

The woman's face poked out through the shadows. It was the one from before, the Nightmare King's right-hand. “That’s what we called outsiders in my old realm,” said the woman. “So easy to crack open and hunt around for pearls. So fun to eat when you’re done playing with them.” 

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” said Jefferson. He sounded like he was on the verge of tears. “Please let me go. I have a daughter at home. She needs me. Please, just let me go.” 

“A daughter, you say?” said the woman, stepping out of the shadows. “How interesting.” Now that she was lit up at a distance, Jim could truly appreciate her wild, tangled hair and sunken eyes. She had taken off her long coat and was dressed in reptile skins. He hadn't noticed quite how much her fingernails looked like talons. Her movement was so inhuman that it's possible that they were.

“What are you doing?” asked Jefferson fearfully, as the woman approached another locked metal door. “What’s in that box?” 

“That depends on what you’re afraid of,” the woman said, wrapping her long fingers around the handle. “Adults have such complex fears, so much more difficult to manifest. I could give it a hint, of course, but I’m more curious what it’ll do on its own.” 

“It? What is it?” Jefferson begged.

His voice was muffled by a short, beaky-faced man placing the mask over his mouth and nose. Jim guessed this was Sally's father. He looked easy to overpower, but Jim could tell he was the least of their worries.

The woman unlatched the cage. “Your worst nightmare.” 

Jim was frozen in place. He needed to help Jefferson. Whatever was coming out of there was going to be horrible. This woman had him petrified though. She radiated menace. He had to be careful.

The woman retreated back in the shadows. Out of the cage stepped a figure. As it stepped into the light, Jim saw whatever it was morph into an older woman wearing a crown and a long red dress. 

“Jefferson,” said the woman, leaning down to meet his eyes. She was smiling like one would smile at a child. “Are you finished with my hat?” 

The Queen of Hearts. She looked like Regina, just slightly. The monster must have pulled her straight from Jefferson's memory.

“Fascinating,” said the woman in charge of Jefferson’s torment. She stepped barely into the light, examining Jefferson's terrified face. "I remember you now. You were the Queen's hatter. Your fear was delicious. I could smell it for miles away." Her face was overtaken by nostalgic bliss.

She gave the floor back to the Queen. The Queen straightened her spine and said, "You really ought to take a break, Jefferson. Perhaps a spot of tea with the March Hare will clear your head."

Jefferson's eyes widened even further. "No!" he yelled from behind his mask. "Anything but him! NO!"

The Queen giggled madly. She leaned back and her dress burst open, revealing a brown hare in a tailcoat hopping around on a cushioned stool. He was holding a teacup and saucer, while balancing a teapot on his head. He cackled like someone had just told him the most outlandish joke, but the rest of the room was dead silent. Out of the teapot sprang a dormouse wearing a bow tie and a party hat.

_"What the fuck am I looking at?"_ Jim wondered, glancing from the hare to Jefferson. _"This is Jefferson's worst nightmare?"_

"Look, Dormie!" said the March Hare. "The Hatter's back! Hello, Mr. Hatter!"

"Hooray!" chimed the Dormouse. "Are you here for the tea party, Mr. Hatter?"

The Hare produced another teacup out of thin air and filled it using his ear like an arm. "I do hope you'll stay for the party, old chap. It hasn't been the same without you."

"Now you can stay and have tea with us forever and ever and ever!" said the Dormouse, leaping from the Hare to Jefferson's seat. Jefferson was starting to sweat. He nearly jumped out his skin when the Dormouse crawled up his arm and hugged the side of his head. "Sing something for us! Won't you?"

Jefferson shook his head frantically. "No, I won't! You can't make me!"

"What was our favorite? Oh, I remember. It went '_Twinkle, twinkle, little bat. How I wonder what you're at.'" _The Hare started rollicking around. The Dormouse joined in, dancing on Jefferson's head. _"Up above the world you fly, like a teatray in the sky!"_

Jefferson let loud a loud wail of anguish. The Hare and the Dormouse just laughed at him. As he screamed, a series of ringing sounds chimed in the corner. That's when Jim realized that the machine was designed to extract Jefferson's screams. The Nightmare King was collecting fear for power. He was going to do this to countless others. This had to be stopped.

The two animals continued to torture Jefferson with their nonsense. Jefferson was about to have a full-blown meltdown. Jim could tell. He had to step in. Then the Hare and the Dormouse grew very still. The Dormouse launched himself from Jefferson's head and landed in the Hare like a raindrop in the ocean. The Hare stiffened. His eyes grew dull. He became a stuffed animal and fell on the ground along with his tea set. His fur turned from brown to white.

Jim took a breath. Maybe he had a little more time to plan. Jefferson was holding up mostly fine. He still had his wits about him at least. Then, from inside the cage, a little girl stepped out. It was Grace, about four or five years younger. She picked up the white rabbit and the tea cup. She looked at Jefferson.

"You're late for tea."

Jefferson squeaked.

"Why did you leave me, Papa?" Grace asked. "You said you were going to be right back. Where did you go?"

Jefferson started hyperventilating. This was so much worse than the Hare or the Queen. Grace kept talking, ignoring her father's distress.

"You left me all by myself! Mr. and Mrs. Mason had to take me in. They're awful! Why did you leave me with them? We already lost Mama because of your stupid job. Now you had to abandon me too?"

Grace threw the stuffed rabbit at him. It hit him right in the head. Grace was getting older before their eyes.

"I hate you!" she screamed, throwing the tea cup past him and shattering it against the wall. Grace aged until she was the spitting image of her mother in that drawing, a grown woman. "I don't ever want to see you again! Goodbye, Papa."

With that, Grace picked up her bags and walked back into the cage, gone from Jefferson's life forever. The woman in corner anxiously waited to hear Jefferson scream, but he broke down sobbing instead. Tears ran down the side of his face.

"Damn it!" she yelled, barging back toward the Doctor's booth. "It took it too far! This is what I mean. Grownups' fears are too complex. Dig down deep and all you find is a dull roar of dread. Let's send for the new one."

No response from the Doctor.

Incensed, the woman yelled, "I said, bring me the new one!"

She rushed past Jefferson to where the hidden man was lurking. She sniffed around in the darkness. "Frog's Breath," she muttered.

Nightlight had drugged him. It was now or never. Jim rushed over to Jefferson and began disconnecting him from the Extractor. He was so worn out, he didn't even notice Jim's presence until Jim was tugging at the mask that had become suctioned to his face.

"You!" the woman hissed at Jim. He felt a chill, but that didn't stop him. She stopped and grinned, pointing behind Jim. "There's something behind you."

"Right, like I'm going to fall for-" Jim felt a tap on his left shoulder. He turned around and shrieked. Five more dings chimed from the Extractor. Lurking behind Jim was an enormous clown with a sickly red smile and a bulbous white head. It offered Jim a red balloon. After he calmed down, Jim started to snicker. 

“Really? A clown? Is this the best you could do?” 

The clown curled its lip and growled. The balloon popped. The clown closed its mouth, grabbed his lower jaw, and tore away its face, revealing a black hole lined with razor sharp teeth. Jim's scream produced ten dings. 

“Oh, no. You’ve made it angry,” said the woman mockingly. Nightlight came up and hit the woman with some magic, but she just batted it away with her hand. "Nice try. A fairy? I used to eat fairies for breakfast."

Nightlight let out a tiny scream and flew out of reach. One ding from the Extractor.

The clown closed in on Jim. Jim tried to lure it away from Jefferson, but that wasn't going to save either of them. He prayed Nightlight or August had a plan.

"Believe it or not," said the woman, sitting down to watch. "I was the 'good cop' in this scenario. Sure, I eat fear. This creature, however... First it eats your fear and then, it eats you."

The clown opened itself wider, readying to swallow Jim whole. August, who had been sneakily undoing the rest of Jefferson’s restraints, pushed Jim aside. The clown put its face back on to get a look at him.

A strange, branched handle appeared above it. Strings, like tendrils, stretched to join its hands. The clown morphed into an enormous marionette. It started to dance, accompanied by discordant carnival music. It was music Jim found oddly familiar. August didn't scream though. He stared the puppet down.

The puppet, bored by August's quietness, changed shape again. When it smiled, its teeth were bristles. Jim had been a sailor long enough to recognize what was coming next.

"We need to get out of here," Jim and August said at the same time. They ran and lifted Jefferson out of his seat. The clown puppet came after them, its skin turning moist and rubbery. Its clothes burst apart as it engorged.

When Jefferson wasn't moving fast enough, Jim shouted, "Whale!"

The woman smacked the creature mid-transformation. "Stop that! You'll bring down the whole castle!" The half-whale stopped and quickly condensed its form. It clattered to the hard ground as a glowing sword. "Oh, I suppose that's meant to be funny!"

Jefferson fled the safety of Jim's arms to grab the sword. Catching the woman by surprise, he swept her legs and ran her through with it. The sword lodged itself between the stones, pinning her to the floor. She screamed in pain, earning herself a few more dings. Jefferson ran ahead of them and banged on the door.

Barrell, true to his word, was there to let them out of the chamber. "What happened in there?" Barrell asked, leading them as far from the Extraction Chamber as possible.

Breathless, Jefferson explained. "That was a Jabberwock. They're fear-eating monsters. The Vorpal Sword is the only thing that can kill them. It made a big mistake letting that thing turn into one."

"Did you kill it?" Barrell asked, realizing that Jefferson may have possibly slain his boss.

Jefferson shook his head. "No, just inconvenienced it. We've gotta get out of here before it gets up and calls for reinforcements."

Barrell led them through the dungeon to what appeared to be a garage. Jefferson and August immediately knew what to do. They climbed into the back of a black cart, pulled by a pair of Nightmares. Jim and Nightlight followed. A Sackman appeared from around the corner ready to swallow them up, but Nightlight set the bag of bugs ablaze. A large green beetle crawled away from the burning sack and Jim squashed it with his foot.

Jim and Nightlight got into the cart with the others. Barrell took the reigns and prepared to drive them away from the castle grounds. The cart smelled foul inside, but Jim was happy just to sit down peacefully for a moment. Jefferson shut them inside the wagon. After a minute, they started moving.

“So, they have fairies in this hell hole?” August asked, looking at Nightlight. Their glow was the only light in the cramped compartment.

“I’m from the Land of Sweets," said Nightlight sardonically. "I wouldn’t live here if you paid me in gumdrops."

August ran his tongue over his teeth, thinking. “That’s just to the north of Cockaigne, right?” Nightlight nodded. “I've been in that area. I did some time at Pleasure Island as a kid, grew a tail and everything. It’s fine. I got it removed.” 

“Pleasure Island?” asked Jim, having a flashback to a vacation he took during naval school. “I went there once with... a friend.” The friend, of course, had been Hook and they had done some more-than-friendly things while there. Jim covered his mouth to hide his embarrassed grin.

“Did they turn you into a donkey too?” asked August.

“What? No!" said Jim, aghast. "We had a nice time. I mean, I did throw up on Monstro, but everything else was fun.” 

“The whale?” August, leaning forward to make sure he heard right.

Jim recalled the whale transforming in Extraction Chamber. August had quite a story of his own. Jim shook his head. “The roller coaster.” 

August was rather confused by that. “They named a ride after the whale?” 

“Could you talk a little less loudly, please?” said Jefferson, holding his head. "Thank you."

Jim checked on him, nearly grabbing Nightlight to use as a lantern. Jefferson was meditating like Jim saw at Lakeside Manor. He needed to recover from his time with the Jabberwock. Nightlight echoed his sentiments about noise. Their tiny fairy ears weren't enjoying the reverberation inside the wagon. Jim and August shut up and they continued their ride in uncomfortable silence, hopefully to somewhere far, far away from Nightmare Castle.


	7. Out of the Woods (Preview)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim has escaped the dungeons with Jefferson and August, but they still need a portal to bring Emma and Regina home. Jim and Jefferson follow a new friend to the Nightmare King's portal factory, then race back through the forest to Storybrooke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is far from complete.

After a few twists, lurches, and turns, the carriage finally came to a stop. Barrell hopped out and opened the back door for them. The three men and the fairy scrambled out, happy to get far away from Barrell's reckless driving. They were right beside an alleyway beneath a faded lamp. Jim caught sight of some familiar eyes hiding behind a dumpster.

It was Quasimodo. He emerged from the shadows, followed by Dorothy, Ruby, and a tentacled creature Jim knew from Monsters Miscellaneous. Jim gave Quasi a hug, then Ruby, then Dorothy. He stopped when he saw the monster girl. What was she doing here? He was about to ask when she removed her hood and, by doing so, removed a glamour that covered the visage of an ordinary human woman. Without her disguise, the girl looked about fourteen. 

“You're a human?" Jim asked, utterly flummoxed. 

“Guilty, but I wouldn't throw stones if I were you," she said cheekily. "The name's Mary. Mary Gibbs. Come on. We’ve gotta get you all out of here.” 

Ruby was impressed by the magic in her cloak, which was still maintaining the appearance of tentacles towards the trim. “Wow, it’s like the exact opposite of how my hood works,” she remarked, feeling the fabric. 

“Good work getting them here, Barrell,” Mary said to the tattooed boy. She turned to Ruby. “Where do we take you now?” 

“Back to Storybrooke,” said Ruby. Dorothy and Quasi nodded in agreement.

Barrell opened the back hatch of the carriage. "All right, everybody in."

“Wait! Hold on!” said Jefferson, before anyone could do anything. “We need one of those portals, like the ones in the woods. Can you get us one of those enchanted trees? We can make the door ourselves, but it’s vitally important we get one before we go.” 

Mary and Barrell thought it over. “No, the Bone Man guards the trees,” she said, stroking her face with a tentacle that was presumably just a glamoured human arm. “But what if I told you didn’t have to make one? Barrell, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yeah, but you can't take all of them," said Barrell. He counted off Jim, Jefferson, August, Quasimodo, Dorothy, and Ruby. "Especially not the humans."

"Where? Where are we going?" Jefferson asked, begging them to clarify.

"The door warehouse," said Mary and Barrell. They decided that Mary would take Jim, Quasimodo, and Jefferson to the warehouse to collect a door. Barrell would drive August, Ruby, and Dorothy out of the city to wait for them. “You can drop them off at Cromwell’s place,” Mary instructed him. She turned to the others. "That's one of our safe houses."

Dorothy raised an eyebrow. “Agatha Cromwell?”

“You know her?” asked Mary, shrouding her face again.

“She kept us hidden from the Queen while we were at the witches’ council,” said Ruby. “She’s really nice. Oh! That reminds me. We have some important stuff to tell you about the Queen.” 

“Well, save it for later. We've gotta go,” said Jim, sighing. "God, I feel like we've been saying that all night."

Nightlight had to leave to find Jack again, but they did Jim one last favor and cast a glamour over Jefferson. "Another vampire?" Jim asked as Nightlight recited the familiar words.

"Vampires are easiest," said Nightlight, making sure Jefferson's fangs came in right. "I could try making you a ten-foot-tall tentacle monster, but the spell would be unstable and it would probably end up a big mess. Anyway, I've gotta find Jack and... try to break the news about that demon. You knew, didn't you?"

"I saw them together at the festival," Jim confessed. "He made me promise not to tell you."

Nightlight turned and cast him a suspicious glance. "And why didn't you?"

Jim wasn't sure he wanted to give his reasons with Jefferson and August around. He decided to keep things cryptic. "He reminded me of myself at his age."

"He's over three-hundred years old," said Nightlight, negating how they'd previously chastised Jack.

"You know what I mean! I didn't know who Charlock was working for," Jim continued. "I just saw two scared kids and I didn't want to put them in danger."

"I get it," said Nightlight, quietly stewing. "That's not going to make it easier to tell him. He's not going to believe me. He thinks everyone's out to kill his fun and tell him how to live his life. Honestly, I don't blame him." They sighed. "My work is never done."

Nightlight flew away into the night. Jefferson checked his reflection in the window of Barrell's carriage. As Jefferson picked at his new fangs, Jim realized how lucky it was that no one had caught Jim's reflection in anything. That would have given the game right away. They said goodbye to Ruby, Dorothy, and August and followed Mary through a maze of shadowy alleys far away from the noise and lights of the festival.

Mary brought Jim, Jefferson, and Quasimodo to a large, nearly windowless stone building. It looked fairly new compared to the rest of the city, which made Jim all the more certain that the gothic spires of the castle were purely an aesthetic choice. There was no signage outside except for a giant letter M carved into the center of the main facility. Inside it was a wide window in the shape of an eye.

In their monster disguises, the two vampires, the hunchbacked ghoul, and the tentacled creature entered the front doors. The main atrium was highly vaulted and largely empty. There were a few monsters hanging around wearing matching uniforms. They looked like the creatures at the meeting. That is to say, they looked like nothing Jim had ever seen in his life.

The group approached a gorgon who was seated at the front desk. “Hello, can I help you?” she asked cheerfully as she swiveled around in her seat. “Oh, hi, Mary!” 

“Hey, Celia,” said Mary quietly. Apparently, they knew each other. “Are the guys in right now? We need their help.” 

“Mikey should be at his station by now,” said Celia, checking the clock. She lowered her head and whispered, “Is it serious?” The snakes in her hair rattled.

Mary leaned over the counter to whisper back, “You're safer the less you know.” 

“I understand,” said Celia seriously. “Go right in.” 

“Thank you,” said Jim, smiling and avoiding direct eye contact with the gorgon. He followed Mary along with the others into a hallway on the right. 

As they passed more monsters, Jim did his best to act like he belonged. He obviously wasn’t an employee, so he did his best to sell himself as a vampire. He stuck out his chest, turned up his nose, and acted like he was better than all the other monsters in the room. He encouraged Jefferson to do the same. 

It seemed to work. Monsters shrank down as they passed by. “Are they inspectors?” someone whispered. “What are they doing here?” “Vampires. Quick! Tidy up! Look busy!” It was strange and oddly unfortunate. Jim and Jefferson didn’t work for anyone related to this place. Being vampires were the only needed credentials. 

Mary led them into a room that looked somewhere between an office and an aircraft hanger. Smaller monsters were working very hard repairing what appeared to be stacks of mismatched doors. They made their way in a winding path around them until they reached the far end of the hall. At the end, to Jim's dismay, were the cyclops and the bugbear they met at Monsters Miscellaneous.

The cyclops and the bugbear were greatly surprised to see the motley crew hurrying toward their station. “Mary! Who are these guys?” said the little green man. "Oh, hey, Quasi." The cyclops narrowed his eyes at Jim. "You! You're that vampire from the meeting earlier. What are you doing here?"

“Take a chill pill, Mike,” said Mary, ignoring the cyclops' histrionics. "They need a door."

"What?!" exclaimed the cyclops, who had the extremely banal name of Mike. "We're not giving out a door to them! Are you crazy? They're-"

"We're not really vampires!" Jim informed him. He lowered his voice. "We're humans. So is Quasimodo. It's just a little pixie dust."

Mike held up a reflective surface to Jim's face. Sure enough, there was Jim's reflection, straining to get away from Mike. "Oh, boy, you should not be here. Why'd you have to bring them here, Mary?"

"It's like she said. We need one of these doors to make into a portal," said Jim. "Jefferson can explain better than I can."

Jefferson stepped forward to greet a very agitated cyclops. “It’s a really long story. Look, we're not supposed to be in the Netherworld and we have friends stuck in a different world. We need them to take us back to _our_ world. Our entire city is trapped here. We were going to make a portal from one of the trees in the forest, but we’re running out of time. Can you please help us? We don't have other options.” 

“I don’t know...” the cyclops whinged, rubbing his arm anxiously not unlike Quasimodo. He looked at the bugbear, who wasn't any more certain than he was.

“Give them my door,” said Mary insistently.

“Your door?” said the cyclops. “But I spent weeks fixing that thing! Do you know how many favors I had to call?” 

Mary sighed. She knelt down and grabbed his head to make him focus. “I know and I'm grateful, but I don’t need it anymore,” Mary said. “I'm already home. Let them have it.” 

Jim didn't know the exact relationship between the three of them, but Mike and the bugbear seemed to find Mary's words genuinely touching. "Just do it, Mike," said the bugbear.

Mike reluctantly trudged over to a panel and traced some runes into it. The gears started whirring, activating the carousel of doors that hung like clothes at a dry cleaner. The machine brought in a white door with pink flowers painted all over it. It lowered to the ground, where the bugbear removed it from its hook. The door appeared to have been hacked apart and stuck back together by magic. All in all, it wasn’t an ideal candidate for reconfiguration. 

Jim looked to Jefferson for his opinion. “It’ll do,” Jefferson said, trying clumsily to carry the door. Quasimodo took it and hoisted it over his head with his mighty arms.

"Thank you," said Jefferson genuinely to Mary and the monsters. "You don't know how much this means to us. Let's go... Jim?"

"What?" asked Jim, ready to leave. Jefferson pointed to his face. Jim felt his face. He felt his teeth. His fangs were retreating into their regular incisor shape. He checked his hands. They were returning to a typical peachy beige.

Jim turned to Quasimodo, who was staring bewilderedly at his arms. The blue-gray Nightlight had put there was melting away, as were the points on Quasi's ears. Jefferson wasn't turning back. He had been glamored much more recently. Mary, Mike, and the bugbear looked on as the change took place.

When it was done, Mike took another look at Quasi and said, "Wow. So you actually look like this?" Quasimodo turned away self-consciously. "Sorry! We really need to get you out of here before-"

An alarm bell started to ring. "Humans!" someone shouted. All the other monsters scoured the room for intruders. The cyclops smacked his own face. "-that happens. Come on!"

Mike grabbed a hold of Jim's arm and dragged him out a side door. Mary and the bugbear helped Jefferson and Quasimodo along. Mike led them all along a twisting hallway at light speed. Alarms blared all the while. They found themselves in a large room full of lumber. Jefferson touched the wood.

"The enchanted trees," he said, smelling the particular odor that the cut wood gave off.

"Yeah, yeah. It's all very interesting, but we don't have time," said Mike, showing them over to a large logging truck. He peeled back a tarp. The truck bed was mostly empty. "Okay, get in."

Jim pointed to himself, then Jefferson, then Quasimodo. "Just the two humans with the door," Mike instructed. Quasimodo stepped forward. "Right, sorry. I forgot you were... The tall guys. Whatever your names are. Get in."

Jim and Jefferson crawled into the truck bed. Quasimodo and the bugbear loaded the door in with them. "What about Quasi?" Jim asked. "Who's driving this thing?"

"I'll drive," said Mary. She turned to her monster friends. "You and Mike need to get back in there and distract them. We can't have you implicated in this."

"You got it, Mary," said the bugbear.

Mary smiled and said, "Thanks, Kitty. Now go!"

"Thanks, guys!" said Jim as Mike and "Kitty" hurried back into the factory. Mary shushed him and covered them completely with the tarp. Jim heard her tell Quasimodo to get in the seat next to her. She was taking them to meet up with their friends outside the city. Within seconds, the engine started rumbling and they were off.

Jim could barely see underneath their shroud. He was lying on his side facing Jefferson, who had shut his eyes. He breathed deeply through his mouth, showing Jim his pearly white fangs. He was so tired. Jim had barely gotten to talk to him since he busted him out of that dungeon. He couldn't begin to imagine everything Jefferson had been through.

"What are you looking at?" asked Jefferson blearily.

"Nothing," said Jim. "Fangs suit you." Jefferson just chuckled and drifted off to sleep. Was it time for bed already? Jim wasn't sure how long he'd been awake. Hopefully, they could all get back to Storybrooke soon. Jefferson and August could take over with the portal and Jim could go to bed.

Jim couldn't sleep. He lied there in silence next to Jefferson, listening to the engine rumble and tires squeak. He could hear Quasimodo and Mary have a faint conversation, only deciphering bits and pieces. He finally started to nod off when the vehicle came to a halt. The engine stopped. Mary's feet hit the ground, followed by Quasi's. They whipped off the tarp, bathing Jim and Jefferson in moonlight.

"Hurry! Hurry!" said Mary as Quasimodo took hold of the door. "Come on! Come on!"

Jim and Jefferson sleepily scrambled out of the truck's bed. Jim got his bearings and noticed that they were on the outskirts of the forest, looking out across the moors toward the town. Mary's finger pointed to a little light burning not too far away.

"Over there is Agatha Cromwell's house. She's one of us," said Mary. "Ruby, Dorothy, and that other guy should already be there."

"One of you? You, Barrell, the guys at the factory... What is all this?" Jim asked.

Mary looked over her shoulder. No one was listening. "We're trying to overthrow the Nightmare King. We've been trying to find the old king. They said that he died a long time ago, but you can't kill what's already dead. Cromwell can tell you more. I have to go."

"Thanks for everything, Mary. If it wasn't for you and Barrell, we'd be rotting in jail right now," said Jim. "Oh! There's something you should know." Mary came closer to listen. "The Nightmare King is going to start abducting people. He's using the Crossover get some more test subjects and, if all goes according to plan-"

"He's going to use the doors to invade other worlds," Mary surmised. "That's what we assumed."

"It gets worse." Jim looked at Jefferson, still harrowed by the experience. "He's going to hook them up to a machine that siphons away their fear. Someone, or something, called the Jabberwock is in charge of the program."

Jefferson nodded. "I saw some, uh, weird shit." That was putting it mildly. "He's gotta be stopped."

"We're working on it," said Mary resolutely. "Thank you for telling us that. I need to take this truck somewhere I can leave it without either of us being traced. Good luck getting home." Mary gave them each a hug. It was odd, considering how briefly they had known each other, but it wasn't unwelcome.

"Hey, Mary?" said Quasimodo. "Why do you stay here? You're a human. Isn't it dangerous for you here?"

Mary folded her bottom lip back with her teeth. "It's dangerous, but I have friends here. Back home... that's where my real monsters are. I'd rather be here with the vampires and werewolves. This town was supposed to be a haven for folks who are different. I want to help make it that way again." Mary stood up, gave them all a parting glance and said, "Goodbye, guys. Thanks again."

She got back into the truck and drove off into the woods. They watched her until the light from her headlights vanished in the forest mist.

Quasimodo carried the door with Jim in front and Jefferson keeping watch at the rear. They followed the light in the distance until they saw a lantern glowing in the windowsill of a small stone house. There was a billow of smoke emitting from the chimney. The black cat hunting for rats outside cemented that this was a witch’s house. 

Jim took a breath and knocked on the door. The door opened just a crack. An old woman peeked through the gap. "Can I help you boys with something? It's very late, you know." She had a kindly voice and demeanor, but she also seemed to be hiding something.

"Yes, I'm a friend of Dorothy's," said Jim. "We were told she'd be here. Barrell was going to drop them off."

The woman gave him the once-over. "Long hair... you must be Jim," the woman said. "I was told you'd have fangs."

"They wore off. Jefferson still has his though," Jim said, pulling Jefferson over. Jefferson smiled nervously. "Probably not for very long."

"You'd better come in then before you're spotted," she said, unlatching the door. She swung it wide open for them. "Unless you've got a witch's license, you aren't very welcome in these parts."

Jim came inside. “Right. Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” asked Jim carefully, which caused someone to snort. Jim looked over and saw Ruby, Dorothy - who was inexplicably suppressing a laugh - and August seated comfortably around a table together. He gave them a wave.

The witch chuckled, not offended in the slightest. “The binary is a bit myopic, dear, but if we have to draw a line, I’m a good witch.” She eagerly shook Jim's hand, which turned into a grandmotherly hug. "Agatha Cromwell."

“Jim Hawkins. This is Jefferson. And that's... Uh, Quasi, maybe leave the door outside?” said Jim, watching Quasi attempt to bring the door through the door. Quasi set it against the outside wall and came in. 

Ruby, Dorothy, and August all looked over at it before the cottage door was shut. “What’s up the door?” asked Ruby, holding a mug of cider. "It looks like it belonged to a little girl."

“Mary gave it to us,” said Jim. To Agatha, he said, “She sends her regards, by the way. What’s happening since we split up again?” 

“Agatha’s been telling us more about the Netherworld and this whole mess with the Nightmare King,” said Dorothy, gesturing to Agatha. Agatha was busy fixing Jim, Jeff, and Quasi some cider. “She’s been very informative.” 

Jim took a seat and thanked Agatha for the cider. Jefferson and Quasi did the same. “Speaking of information, you said you learned something important at the coven meeting.” 

“Oh, right!” said Dorothy. “So we got there. I was able to perform a little magic I picked up in Oz, nothing much. Ruby and I got in and sat down. The Grand High Witch started the meeting. Then, out of nowhere, the Queen walks in. She tells the witches that she’s looking for this witch goddess they revere.” 

“Morgana,” Agatha said grimly. It chilled the air.

The hairs on Jim's arms stood on end. “We knew she came here to find somebody. Someone who could help her with... I don’t really know what her plan is, but it’s someone bad. That must be why Carmilla's with her.”

"What?" said everyone with any knowledge on the situation. Jim told them about meeting Carmilla at the vampire club and how she did next to nothing to keep him from being arrested by the Sackmen and thrown into the dungeons.

"I mean, it was a blessing in disguise. Getting arrested was the easiest way to find Jeff and August," Jim said, forcing himself to smile in spite of the ordeal. "Who's this Morgana person anyway?"

They turned to Agatha, who was staring at the fire in silent contemplation. She said gravely, “Long ago, Morgan was imprisoned in the Dark Realm, bound here by powerful magic. The coven regards her as their patron saint, although no one has gone to visit her prison and lived to tell the tale. She dwells in a tomb located on a high floating mountain, and it seems this queen of yours has the power to release her.” 

That was exceptionally bad news. “How?” Jim asked. 

“The Blue Fairy’s wand,” said Dorothy. “She’s the one who put her there in the first place. The Grand High Witch hates fairies, at least the good ones. If she had caught Nightlight, she would have boiled them and eaten them for lunch.” 

“What are we going to do?” asked Jefferson, growing more and more overwhelmed.

“The only thing we can do,” said Jim, sitting up. “Get this portal working, bring back Emma and Regina, and somehow we’ve got to get Storybrooke back home before the Queen can bring Morgana with her. We need to warn the others.” 

A raven flew up to Agatha's windowsill. She approached it and let it land on her fingers. Holding it to her ear, she gasped at its caws. "They're coming. You need to go."

"Who's coming?" asked Ruby, expressing everyone's alarm.

"The Sackmen. The Jabberwock is bringing them here," said Agatha. "It forced Barrell to tell it everything. You need to run."

Everyone evacuated the house as quickly as possible. Agatha turned off all the lights and passed out lanterns. Quasi struggled with the door. There was no way they could move this thing quickly. If they did, they'd run the risk of breaking it.

"Hold on," said Ruby. "I've got an idea. Aggie, do you have any rope?"

Agatha found some lying around somewhere. While she was searching, Ruby stood beneath the enormous full moon and doffed her cloak. Her eyes turned yellow. Her teeth turned sharp. As fur sprouted all over body, she started to grow. And grow. And grow. Her clothes burst at the seams. Underneath the Netherworld’s moon, Ruby grew into a massive wolf, five times her natural size. Jim hadn't been imagining things. 

“Well, that’s new,” said Jefferson, marveling at her transformation.

They didn’t have time to waste though. August and Jefferson got to work tying the door to Ruby’s back, with enough room to carry both of them safely through the woods. It was most crucial that they get back to town so that the portal could be made. At Ruby's size and speed, the Bone Man would give them no trouble. 

Jefferson climbed on and wrapped his arms around Ruby’s furry neck. August, carrying the cloak, wrapped his arms around Jefferson’s waist. Jim felt uncomfortable with the way August was hugging Jefferson’s body. There wasn’t anything inappropriate about it. He just felt uneasy, the way he felt when Victor joyously hugged him upon his return from the Underworld. No time to dwell on it though. 

Ruby bolted into the depths of the woods, eliciting a scream from August that made Jim stifle a laugh. That left Jim, Quasimodo, Dorothy, and Agatha standing around in her garden with no easy means of escape. They would have to run. They checked back over the moors. A small processional of torches was heading their way. Soon the Jabberwock would be upon them.

"I'll keep them busy," said Agatha. "Run. And do be careful. These are dangerous woods."

Agatha hugged them all and bid them farewell. She pointed them in the vague direction of the grove of magic trees. Jim wasn't looking forward to facing the Bone Man again, but going a different way would only get them lost.

"Let's go," said Jim. They dashed off into the woods. Jim kept his knives at the ready. It was the only weapon he had left against whatever lurked in the darkness and fog. Dorothy quickly outran him, but Quasimodo lagged behind on his short legs. Jim kept stopping to wait for him.

"Jim, go on without me," Quasi said, wheezing.

"What? I'm not leaving you behind to get captured!" Jim said. He was ready to pick Quasi up and carry him through the woods.

Quasi shook his head. "They won't capture me. They think I'm one of them. I'll tell them I saw you go the other way." Jim wasn't having it, but Quasi insisted. "Jim, there's no time to argue!"

"How will you get back?" asked Jim.

Quasi looked back toward the town. "I don't think I'm coming back. You heard what Mary said. This was supposed to be a safe place for people who are different. She's a human. She lives here. I could too. And I could help make it better!"

"What about Esmeralda?" Jim asked. Quasimodo could not be serious.

"She doesn't need me, but these people might. Mary, Mike, Barrell, Aggie... I've made more friends in one day than I have in my entire life." That was extremely sad.

Jim fell to his knees and gave Quasi a hug. "You're not a monster, Quasi."

"Neither are they. People just said they were. That's why this place exists." Quasi broke the hug. "Maybe it shouldn't have to, but misfits have to stick together."

"Maybe I should stay too then," Jim suggested, laughing.

"Storybrooke needs you, Jim. I think that Jefferson guy still needs you too."

"I'm gonna miss you, Quasi. Be safe. If you need to escape, you can always use the portals."

It was too hard for Jim to say goodbye. He just took off running again. Quasi bolted up the opposite direction to go confront the Jabberwock. Jim prayed he knew what he was doing. Before long, Jim stumbled upon Dorothy who had stopped to catch her breath. She asked where Quasi was. Jim explained his truly baffling decision to stay in the Netherworld.

They kept running, trying to find the grove or the curly hill, any landmark that could direct them how to get home. They continued roaming the forest until a white glow came around one of those creepy trees. It was one of the spectral dogs. It growled at them. Other growls came from unseen sources. This could only mean one thing: the Bone Man was near.

Jim and Dorothy tried backing away from the dogs. They got pinned against a sheer rock wall. Jim thought they were done for, but then the dogs reared back and listened. Jim couldn't hear anything but he felt dread wash over him, like something was creeping its way into his mind. The Jabberwock. Somehow, it had heard their fear and followed them. Jim grabbed Dorothy and ran past the distracted dogs.

It was by sheer luck that they stumbled into the clearing and saw the collection of doors. The Bone Man sprang down from the canopy above and roared at them. Dorothy took Jim through a green door nearby. She shut it tightly and they breathed a temporary sigh of relief.

Jim looked around at their location. It was a beautiful, lush rainforest filled with exotic flowers. There was a rainbow glittering above them. Over the embankment, Jim spied a long stretch of yellow road. "Where are we?"

"We're in Oz," said Dorothy. She picked a flower and held it up to behold. "I forgot how much I missed it. I haven't been gone that long."

"We can't stay here," said Jim, despite how much he'd love to stay and take in the view. "We have to get back."

He walked back over to the door and opened it just a crack. Jim's whole body stiffened in fear. The Jabberwock had reached up and grabbed the Bone Man by his collarbone. It whispered into the space its ears should have been.

“You don’t remember me, do you? If you did, you’d be much more frightened right about now. I should hope your time guarding the forest has taught you a thing or two about real terror. Oh, how I’d love to float around that empty skull of yours for a while. Seems they took out most of your fears when they took out your brains. I shouldn’t say too much about it. We wouldn't want you getting any ideas, now would we?”

The Jabberwock began walking slowly around the clearing, searching for them. It came upon the sparkly, tree-shaped door. “You know, you really ruined things for us with that stunt you pulled, all because you wanted to be a Guardian. Did you really want to help the children or did you just want to improve your image? It doesn’t matter now, I suppose. Soon no realm will be safe, not from the Nightmare King, and certainly not from me.” 

Jim listened to the Jabberwock's chilling voice, doing his best to not make a sound. He shut the door as quietly as he could and listened for a chance to make a run for it. He told Dorothy to keep her thoughts quiet. Jim thought about the ocean. No fear, just the ocean.

“I may not be able to see you, Jim, but I can still feel your mind reaching out to me. You’re afraid I’ll find you, but there’s a louder fear in that head of yours. You pushed it back, but I can hear it screaming.”

The Jabberwock hummed curiously as the image of the ocean faded into Hook. Jim's stomach sank when he knew that he was losing this mental battle. They had to move.

Jim and Dorothy hid behind the door, hoping to lure the Jabberwock inside and trap it there. Jim heard the doorknob jiggle. It creaked open. "Here we are," said the Jabberwock. "My, what a lovely forest. I hear Ozians scare easily. Maybe once I'm done with you, I'll take a trip here just for fun."

The Jabberwock took a few steps out and looked around. “So, Jim, tell me more about this Captain of yours. He doesn't love you anymore, does he? It seems your life is and has always been completely meaningless. Now you’re going to spend the rest of your endless live alone, watching everyone you’ve come to care for abandon you and die. Your best-case scenario would probably be catching ill before that happens, or falling off a cliff, or being run over in the street. Will anyone miss you when you’re gone, you wonder? Shall we find out?” 

It had wandered far enough away from the door that they could make a run for it. He gave Dorothy the signal and they darted for the door. The Jabberwock whipped around to find them slamming the door in its face.

There was no way to lock it though. Jim fought with the Jabberwock to keep the door shut, but his strength gave out when the creature tore the door straight off its hinges. The Jabberwock just smiled and stepped through. Dorothy hid, but Jim was toppled onto the ground.

"Your fears are too complex to be useful," said the Jabberwock. Its throat began to glow from the inside. Jim felt heat coming off its body. In a distorted voice, the monster growled, "You're more trouble than you're worth."

Jim was ready to be incinerated. Psychic tendrils worming through his mind kept him frozen in place. Then the Jabberwock let out a yell and Jim felt it leave his mind. He looked up and had to bite his knuckle to keep from laughing. Someone hit the Jabberwock in the face with a snowball.

It turned its head around like an owl, shaking the snow out of its matted hair. Jim looked for the source. Across the grove, there was Jack Frost, forming another snowball by magic in his hand. 

“Leave them alone, you freak,” said Jack.

“Oh, hello. You must be the new Guardian,” said the Jabberwock, keeping the honeyed tone in its voice. It twisted the rest of its body around to face him. “Jack, right? I've heard so much about you. Such a brave child. Not quite a boy, not yet a man. Being a Guardian sounds like awful lot of responsibility to place on a child."

Jim got up and started to run. "I'm not finished with you yet, Jim," said the Jabberwock. "You two are very much alike, you know. Take a good look at each other. You're like reflections in a looking glass - lonely, frightened children who don't know how to be anything else."

The Jabberwock certainly didn't mince words. It wasn't paying much attention to Jim anymore. The Jabberwock its eyes firmly on Jack. Jim called out, "Don't listen to it! It's just trying to get in your head!"

"The Guardians don’t really accept you," it said. "There's obviously been some kind of mistake. Once they realize that, they’ll abandon you and you’ll be all alone again. Unlike Jim, who's just using you as a chance to sneak away, granting yourself a mercy killing isn’t an option. Is it?” 

"Shut up!" Jack Frost flung another snowball straight at the Jabberwock's face. This time it caught it, morphed it into a sharp ball of icicles, and threw it back at him. The ball of frozen spikes grazed Jack's cheek, leaving a fine, stinging cut. "Jim, go! I'll deal with this one!"

"Jim knows something, doesn't he? He's afraid of what I'll say to you next," said the Jabberwock. "But I don't need to do that. He'll be here any second."

Jack quit listening. He cast a wall of icicles to keep the Jabberwock at bay. "What's it talking about? I don't understand."

Dorothy tugged on Jim's sleeve to get him to start running. A roar from deep in the Jabberwock's gut unleashed a hail of fire to melt the ice. "Nightlight will tell you!" Jim said regretfully. "You're not gonna like it, but please believe them. I have to go!" Jim and Dorothy took off running into the woods. Jack turned back to face the Jabberwocky, holding back its fire with his ice.


	8. New Update

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is another update on the progress of this fic.

Hello!

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to update this fic. Between editing the original Jim Hawkins fic and working on my Jak & Daxter fic, my hands have been pretty much tied. However, I've finished editing the first and am nearly done with the second, so I'm ready to dive back in. Right now, I'm going back and making edits. There were some changes to "An Untold Story" and I want things to remain consistent. There should be a new chapter soon!

\- Cory


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